Falls Apart
by onyx-dreams
Summary: [ShikaSaku] Sasuke has returned and asked for Sakura's hand in marriage. Years later, Sakura discovered her mistake and suffered an unhappy, abusive relationship. And she kept it a secret from everyone, but a pair of intelligent brown eyes saw all.
1. The Mistakes We Make

**Falls Apart**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto nor the song used. Though I wish I owned Kakashi-sensei. glomps the masked wonder squees

**Change Of Hearts Lyrics by Four Tops **  
Hey girl,  
He treats you bad

Leaves you at home on your own while he roams.  
Said he was out with the boys  
smells like sweet perfume

Lipsticks on his collar  
his pockets ain't got a dollar.  
He staggers and he falls asleep  
In the same clothes that he wore in the street

Wakes up and demands to eat  
you're in this thing mighty deep.

What you need is a change of heart  
What you need is a change of life

I know you got to have a change of man - change to me.  
What you need is a change of heart  
What you need is a change of life  
In fact I know you need a change of man - change to me.

Every Saturday night he wants to start a fight with you

Either she ain't treatin' him right  
Or just because he's high as a kite.  
He blames you because the sun didn't shine  
And he blames you for what's wrong with his mind.  
He uses you as a scapegoat

If you can't see it  
let me pull your coat.

He uses reverse psychology on you

Remember when you caught him with Nona?  
Didn't he accuse you of being with some creep?  
Girl, you're in this thing mighty deep.

What you need is a change of heart

Start me thinkin' about it  
he never says he loves you

And I don't think he does,  
do you?  
I think he only thinks of you as he would an old worn out shoe.

Change to me - think about it baby  
- change to me!  
Change of heart - change of life - change of man -  
change to me

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Chapter One: The Mistakes We Make

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She looked up from where she was weeping on the floor to the dark, drunken man standing in the door way. Her lips quivered as she took in his disheveled appearance, the smell of lavender perfume all over him, mixed with the tequila he had obviously been drinking earlier. Red lipstick was smeared all over his face and he looked flushed for reasons other than being drunk. Tears flooded over from sea foam green eyes. This had become the ritual over the past few years since they had gotten married, after he had returned…the disappearing in the early evening, the returning in the middle of the night, covered in the smell of other women and hard liquor, then…then…

She didn't want to think about it. All she could do was shut off feeling, entering a corner of her mind that was tuned out from reality. She would wake up from her daze sore the next morning, sometimes covered in bruises and cuts, only vaguely remembering the cause of why the ache in the juncture of her legs had settled there. Most of time, she didn't want to remember, not after she remembered the first time this had happened. She'd been knocked out for days afterward, recovering from what he had put her through in a drunken rage.

She flinched as she saw him stagger forward, that hungry look settling in his eyes for the thousandth time. The second he grabbed her by the hair, she retreated into the back of her mind to escape the pain, her body going slack so he could have his way with her. Almost every night, unless he was gone on a mission…

Haruno Sakura hadn't slept in years…

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She snapped out of her daze the next morning, blinking as the bright sunlight filtered through the window onto her face. She turned her head to the side, looking out into the world beyond the window from her prone position on the futon. A few stray pink strands of her hair shifted into her eyesight. She wasn't surprised to find herself alone in the bedroom, and she knew the house to be devoid of life except for her. He always left before she woke up, leaving her to grieve in loneliness.

Groaning as she finally shifted to sit up, she took inventory of all the familiar aches and pains that resided in her body. Besides the usual ache between her legs, she found two hickeys on her neck, numerous bruises on her arms and stomach, some possible bruised ribs, and cuts up and down her back, with a few on her forearms.

With out a sound, Sakura rose from the low futon to wander into the attached bathroom. She immediately turned on the hot water as hot as it would go and waited for the small room to fog over. After a few minutes, satisfied that the water was hot enough, she stepped into the scalding liquid, her skin immediately turning an angry red. She didn't wince though, having grown used to pain. It was hard to feel anything anymore. She leaned her forehead onto the black and white tile of the shower and let the water envelope her, allowing her mind to drift into oblivion for a few minutes, forgetting the world.

She felt the water slowly start to lose its heat and sighed. Turning the water off and stepping out of the shower she grabbed a red towel and dried herself off. Glancing at a clock, she found herself with plenty of time to prepare for some sparring with her ex-teacher.

Over the years, Sakura had developed into one of the most respected jounin in Konoha. Her training from Tsunade had finished in record time, her abilities passing even that of the Hokage herself. She had also gained a physical strength that surprised the entire village, and a speed that could put the poor Lee to shame. Soon, the only challenge in sparring she found was from Kakashi. She had become very powerful indeed, but not enough to face her worst fear: one Uchiha Sasuke.

He had returned several years after the defeat of Orochimaru, and bore the evidence of his slaughtering the Akatsuki. Upon that return, Konoha took him back as their hero and he had asked Sakura to marry him, apologizing profusely for ignoring her so long. He said he couldn't have any distractions, that he had done it to protect her. Sakura had been overjoyed, and had leapt at the chance to marry her life-long love.

How wrong a decision that had been. Naruto had even approached her, saying that he still didn't trust Sasuke, that something still seemed off with the Uchiha boy. Sakura had blatantly ignored him, and in less than a month, had moved in with Sasuke. At first, it had seemed wonderful, like she had always imagined it to be. He was a gentleman, taking her out on dates, wooing her. And she had fallen right into the trap. After discovering her grievous mistake, it was too late to back out. She was too terrified and ashamed to attempt an escape. A fool she was, and her way of exacting her revenge for being foolish was to pour all her concentration into pushing her body to its limit, to feel the pain when she had gone numb.

And this resulted in her becoming one of the most powerful ninja in the village. But it didn't take the numbness away.

Haruno Sakura hadn't slept in years, but she hid it from her village and friends.

She had become the master of deception.

Sighing, Sakura wrapped the towel about her lithe form and walked into room filled with painful memories, opening drawers and pulling out clothes, laying them out on the unmade futon. Dropping the towel, Sakura began to dry her long pale pink hair. Time had removed more and more of the pink, her hair almost white now. The pale strands had grown down past her knees, for that was something Sasuke liked. Everything for Sasuke, no matter how much it hurt her. Satisfied that her hair was dry enough, she pulled the smooth, damp strands into a simple braid, her chin length bangs left out to frame her face.

Turning to her laid out clothes, Sakura began to dress. She first bound her bruised ribs, wincing as she pulled the bandages tight to prohibit further damage. She then pulled on her underwear followed by a short black skirt with slits up both sides. A long, billowy sleeved red shirt went over her torso, hiding the hickeys, bruises and cuts. Pulling on fingerless gloves, black boots, and her forehead protector as a headband, Sakura walked out the front door of the shared apartment. She felt some of the tension and numbness leave her as she moved to meet Kakashi at the bridge so they could train.

This was her routine, this was how she deceived, and none was the wiser, not even Kakashi could read into her well versed, perfectly acted lies. Except for one pair of intelligent brown eyes. Eyes of the genius of the Konoha Village. Nothing escaped his observation.

'How long until you break Sakura? How long until the numbness fades and the pain consumes you?' he thought as she walked past him to the bridge as she did every morning Kakashi was in town. 'And when you break, will you finally let someone help you escape your nightmare?'

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Sakura rolled her shoulders and took a new inventory of her aches and pains. Bruises on her shins, some new ones on her arms, one on her cheek…she smiled wanly though. She'd left more pain on Kakashi this round though. After a few hours of intense sparring, Sakura had K.O.ed her old sensei with a well timed roundhouse kick to the back of his head. They never used weapons or ninjutsu. It was about brute power and speed. And Sakura was slowly surpassing the older jounin. She pondered on this as she slowly walked back through town, intending to return to her hell and wash the sweat and blood from her body. Was Kakashi getting too old? Or had she really gotten that much more powerful?

Lost in her musings, Sakura jumped a bit when a loud voice called to her from a ramen stand. Knowing only one person who would be there at this time of day, Sakura plastered on her perfected fake smile, the one everyone recognized from when she could still feel, and moved over to sit next to her favorite blonde friend.

"Naruto," she said, eyeballing the piles upon piles of empty bowls, "You haven't changed one bit. Aren't you going to get sick?" His appetite never ceased to amaze Sakura, even after all these years.

Naruto grinned at her, his blue eyes shining in mirth. Over the years, he too had changed quite a bit. The Kyuubi sealed within him had finally merged with the blonde, leaving him with slit pupils, broad stripes on his face, and sharp claws on his fingertips. He had also shot up a foot or so, his muscles filling him out handsomely. His wild blond hair reached his shoulders and was restrained in a low ponytail. But his loud colored choice of clothing hadn't changed and neither had his trouble making attitude. He still disrespected Tsunade every chance he got and still sought to be Hokage. He had also stopped pining over her, and was now happily with Hinata. They had married before Sasuke had returned.

"Ne, Sakura-chan, are you going to stop by and see Hinata? She's due in a few months and she doesn't get out much. She's been craving female companionship for the past few weeks, and we don't see much of you anymore. Please?" She hadn't realized that a full grown man, and a member ANBU, was capable of giving puppy dog eyes. Sakura forced out a believable chuckle. "Of course Naruto. I'll stop by later. Let me shower first and get a change of clothes. Just stop looking pathetic please."

Naruto pouted a bit, but quickly smiled again. "Alright! Ino-chan, Chouji-kun, Kiba no inukoro, and Shikamaru-san should be stopping by also. Maybe we could play a card game or two, swap some mission stories. Just catch up you know?" Sakura nodded, though inside she was wincing. That was a people overload for her. The less people, the less work it was to hide her secrets. Especially with that lazy genius jounin. Whenever he was around, he would study her with half-lidded eyes, making her think he could see right through her front. It bothered her to no end. She didn't want anyone to know of her shame, of her foolishness, of her numbness.

Realizing she had zoned out a bit, Sakura turned and gave Naruto her word that she would stop by, said goodbye, and walked off. Naruto watched Sakura walk away, worry clouding his clear blue eyes. After all these years and no proof of foul play, he was still uneasy with his best friend being with an old traitor to the Konoha Village. He still sensed something off kilter with the dark-haired man, and he feared it had something to do with Sakura. But there was absolutely nothing incriminating for him to act on, and Sakura still acted like her normal self. So he could do nothing but hope that his instincts were wrong and that it was still a hatred for the Uchiha heir that tainted his perception.

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A few soft knocks sounded on the front door, and Shikamaru moved to answer it first, sensing the familiar, freakishly strong chakra on the other side of it. Slowly opening it, his lidded brown eyes clashed with guarded sea foam green. They stood there staring at each other for long drawn out seconds, his eyes trying to delve out the secrets he knew her to be hiding, and hers struggling to block his thorough search of her soul. Finally he stepped aside to let Sakura in.

Doing everything in her power not to bolt past him, she walked through the spacious home to the living room where Naruto, Kiba, Ino, Chouji, and a very pregnant Hinata were sat comfortably on chairs and couches. Sakura gave her patented fake smile as they all greeted her, Ino standing up to hug her old friend. Sakura returned it with a practiced naturalness, before disengaging the embrace. She felt the presence of Shikamaru loom behind her and she moved to where Hinata was sitting before he could do any more of his investigating.

"Hinata-san, you look wonderful!" Sakura exclaimed, kneeling down next to the black haired woman. Hinata blushed, her shyness still prevalent after all these years. "Th-thank you Sakura," she stuttered, before leaning forward a bit to give her friend a light hug. Sakura truly returned this hug, happy for her friend. "I'm sorry that I haven't been stopping by. I've been terribly busy with the hospital and training. I promise to stop by more often. I'm sure Naruto's been driving you crazy." Sakura smirked and an indignant "Hey!" was sounded from the blonde sitting next to Hinata. She let go of the hug, taking in the small grin on Hinata's face.

"You're right, he can be rather troublesome at times." Naruto now hunched over, crossing his arms and sulked. Everyone laughed heartily at Naruto's expense except Shikamaru, who only let a smile escape. He hadn't stopped observing Sakura the whole time. He was determined to figure out exactly why Sakura put up with the behavior of Sasuke, and put an end to her abusive relationship. He had observed many times a drunken Sasuke stumbling back home through empty streets, often covered in lipstick from his nightly conquests of infidelity. Shikamaru, though he often whined about women, still knew that Sakura didn't deserve the treatment she was receiving.

He would free his fellow ninja. Even if she hated him for it, he would see her free of that destructive relationship.

Sakura could feel the quasi-glare from Shikamaru on her. This make her hackles raise in a movement of self-defense. She didn't know how he could see through her elaborate act that had everyone else fooled. But then again, that was why he was one of the first of her class to reach jounin. By no stretch of the imagination was he stupid. The perfect strategist, he could read enemy and friend alike better than any sharingan could. Which is why she now itched to remove herself from his presence. He was looking for evidence of the abuse Sasuke put her through. Of evidence of the bad relationship she was going through.

The group sobered up and Naruto had stopped his sulking. Now grinning, he looked at everyone in room, taking note of how Shikamaru was staring down Sakura like a hawk, before asking what everyone wanted to drink. After orders were taken, he stood and walked into the nearby kitchen to pour drinks. Ino, from her spot next to her beloved Chouji, looked over at Sakura who had filched Naruto's old seat and asked, "Ne, Sakura-chan, how has work at the hospital been going? Any interesting or weird injuries come your way?"

Sakura sat and thought about it, finally coming up with one that had seemed rather odd to her. "I remember Iruka-sensei admitting himself one day. He had some interesting bruises and cuts on his arms and back. When I asked him about it, he turned beet red and mumbled something about Kakashi and 'being rough.' I didn't want to ask beyond that because I spar with Kakashi almost every day. I don't want any bad images entering my head to distract me. Besides, I just really didn't want to know…" Sakura shuddered a bit as everyone laughed again.

Naruto entered again and passed out the drinks for everyone. He then grouched at Sakura for stealing his seat next to Hinata, and turned about to find that there were no more seats available. Sighing, he moved to stand next to Hinata, sitting on the armrest and taking her hand in his.

The group talked for hours about what had happened to them since they had last been together. Soon, Sakura realized that it had started growing dark outside. Quivering at the thought of going home, but even more terrified of having Sasuke find her not home, she turned to her group of friends with a sad smile. "I must apologize, but I need to be getting back home now. Sasuke will be heading back in an hour or so." Everyone nodded and said good bye, though Naruto's worried look returned. He stood, gently placing Hinata's hand down on the arm rest before approaching Sakura. Placing his hands on either shoulder, he looked her in the eye with a searching glare akin to Shikamaru's. "If you need anything, and I mean anything, Hinata and I would be more than happy to help you. Got it?" Naruto broke up the serious moment with one of his trade mark grins. "Be good Sakura. I'll see you around." Sakura nodded and walked to the door. As she put her hand on the knob to turn it, she felt another's cover it, stopping her from leaving. Dread filled her and her hackles raised again as Shikamaru's now gravelly, low voice filled her ears. "Let me walk you home Sakura. Wait just a moment and I'll be back." The hand left hers and she froze as Shikamaru turned and gave his goodbyes to the group.

He was surprised to return and find that Sakura hadn't bolted yet. He figured that he would have to chase her down. She was still frozen, hand on the door knob, still staring at the wood in front of her with a shocked expression. "Sakura." No response. Sighing to himself and inwardly grumbling about troublesome women, he recovered her hand on the door knob with his large palm, curling his fingers around and gently twisting the knob. Sakura jumped a bit upon contact, surprised that he had touched her.

The door swung open silently, knob removed from both of their grasps, but his hand still covering hers. The contact remained for a few seconds before Shikamaru removed his hand and stepped around Sakura to the outdoors. He turned and looked at her, his face wiped of any expression, but his eyes searching Sakura once again. "Are you going to go home or not?" He asked quietly. Sakura jumped again in surprise. She had been shocked at his audacity to touch her, much less invite himself to walk her home as if she wasn't able to take care of herself. Seething a bit, her body stiffened up and she strutted past him to the street. "Nara-san, I don't know what you're up to or what you possibly could be thinking, but stop. I'm not a puzzle to be figured out and I'm more than capable of taking care of myself." Shikamaru did not answer, but after closing Naruto's front door, followed her silently. The silence that reigned between the two jounin was tense and uneasy. At least for Sakura it was. Glances out of the corner of her eye revealed a completely relaxed Shikamaru, his hands dug deep into his pockets, eyes straight ahead. Those glances had also revealed to her how Shikamaru had grown into a handsome man. He shoulders had filled out and he had gained quite a bit of muscle weight, abandoning the scrawny look he had as a gennin. His attire had changed also, trading out a sleeved shirt for a mesh sleeveless one, though retaining his chuunin flak vest. Loose black capri cut pants clung to his lower half and sandals clung to his feet. It appeared that he had let one ear's earring holes close up and added another to the other ear. His hair style remained the same, though it was a little bit longer.

Sakura returned her wandering eyes back to the darkened road ahead of her. She jumped a little as Shikamaru finally spoke. "I've seen him you know, stumbling down the street. Almost every night he's home." Sakura winced inside, but kept her face impassive. "So? He enjoys partying." Shikamaru turned his eyes to leer at Sakura as she casually brushed his statement off. "You know he's cheating right? Sometimes I can glimpse the makeup that rubbed off on him. He doesn't even try to hide it before going home." Sakura's eyes narrowed in anger as he probed her. "Shikamaru, stop poking your nose where it doesn't belong! You don't know anything!"

"I know that you're hiding something. You are very good at covering the abuse with training with Kakashi. But if everything came from the training, why do you hide the wounds? You never used to wear long-sleeved shirts, now you can't be found without them." Sakura snarled inside at his observation, but it was easy to shut that one down. "Maybe my style's changed over the years. Maybe I like long sleeves." The look Shikamaru sent clearly stated the he believed otherwise. "So you like wearing long sleeves while training in 100 degree weather with Kakashi? I wonder if he's seen any of the bruises he knows he didn't put there."

Sakura stopped walking and faced Shikamaru, rage now clouding her eyes and her body quivering with the effort to not hit him. "Listen and listen well Shikamaru. There is nothing wrong with Sasuke and I's relationship, nor has there ever been." Shikamaru also stopped and looked at her with an eyebrow raised. "Who are you trying to convince Sakura? Yourself, or me? You may have everyone else fooled with your act, but I know better. Even Naruto senses something wrong, but he respects you too much to say anything about it."

"Then why don't you show some respect and back off! I don't need help because there is nothing for me to need help with! And why are you spying on Sasuke! Don't you have anything else to do with your time than try to ruin a perfectly good relationship? Besides, weren't you dating Temari-chan?" Shikamaru snorted at the name of the Sand kunoichi. "She left me a long time ago after finding that she felt nothing more than a deep friendship with me. Besides, I worry for you Sakura. No one else may notice the changes, but I do. Whenever I see you on the streets, there is a disconnected, lost look in your eyes. Your body stance is much tenser than it used to be before Sasuke and you've been distancing yourself from everyone but Kakashi, and even he says you've drifted away. He says you push yourself mercilessly. He'd even gone as far to say that you don't even try to avoid some his blows, like you want to be hit. What is going on Sakura? You won't be able to hide it forever." Shikamaru had taken a few steps toward Sakura, leaving half an arm's reach between the two jounins. Sakura had abruptly quieted, her eyes listlessly staring at the ground below her feet. He was hitting too close to the mark, and he had his proof. But she was too scared to admit it, too scared of what Sasuke might do. She no longer loved her husband, but fear held her in place at her side. The man had defeated the Akatsuki single-handedly. Surely she was no match for that, much less the entire Konoha village combined.

Shikamaru noted her lack of response where there had been anger before. That listless, lost look was back in her eyes. Slowly he reached out and pulled Sakura into a hug, her head neatly fitting below his chin. He closed his eyes and gently squeezed reassuringly as shakes began to seize Sakura's form. "Please Shikamaru, don't pry anymore. I'm afraid of him and what he would do if I tried to walk away. Don't tell anyone, not Naruto, not Tsunade, not Kakashi. If Sasuke can defeat the Akatsuki, think of what he could do to this village if angered. We're powerless against him." Sakura wrapped her arms about Shikamaru's still slim waist, clinging to him for dear life, for once her numbness yielding to the true pain deep inside. Shikamaru's anger grew. So he was right. Sasuke had been beating Sakura, cheating on her…every possible thing to drag her name through the mud. But in a sense, Sakura was right. There was nothing to done. Sasuke was the most powerful ninja of his time. His sharingan trumped any and all abilities of the Konoha village. Even Neji would have problems, for Sasuke could read every move before the Byukagen user implemented it. So what had he gained by learning Sakura's secret? Nothing. There was nothing he could do. No strategy could outwit eyes that saw the future. He drew Sakura closer, hoping to calm her down. "Even though you can't escape, you have friends who are more than willing to help keep the pain at bay. We would all give our lives for you, much like how we almost did trying to get Sasuke back." Sakura sobbed into his chest. "I wish I had known. I'm a fool Shikamaru. I deserve this for not knowing any better, even if I become numb." Shikamaru grimaced at her proclamation. "Sakura, you deserve nothing more than to be happy. After all the hell that Uchiha boy put you through, you deserve nothing more than to be happy." He release one arm from the hug and softly grabbed Sakura's chin, forcing her to look at him. Tears poured from her eyes, pain darkening the normally light green eyes. "I promise I will do everything I can to get you that happiness. You of all people should not have to suffer. If you need to talk, come find me. I won't tell anyone else unless this…relationship…becomes a threat to your life." Sakura sniffled, amazed at the loyalty Shikamaru was exhibiting. But then again, he had shown that same loyalty after he had failed the attempt to bring back Sasuke, resolving to quit because his choices had hurt his friends. Something he never wanted to do again. She finally stepped back from the comforting embrace. "I need to go. He'll be suspicious if I'm not home before him. Goodnight Shikamaru, and thank you. But don't try anything. I don't want anyone dying because of me. I've survived thus far, and I will continue to do so."

Sakura turned and walked away to the house she hated that was looming nearby. Shikamaru watched her go, feeling a combination of anger, sadness, and a surprising amount of possessiveness as she walked out of his sight. 'Sakura, I will make sure you are free of that Uchiha bastard, even if it kills me. You will finally be able to rest peacefully at night without fear of being violated.'

Little did he know, Sakura hadn't even fitfully rested in years…

…but he soon would.

To be continued…

A/N: Neh, I don't know what brought me to write this, but I do know that I love this pairing right next to a KakaSaku pairing. If you haven't guessed yet, this is a ShikaSaku pairing. They're so adorable together! squees and glomps unsuspecting Naruto characters Review and ja ne!


	2. The Secrets I Keep

**Falls Apart**

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing but the plot…I'm merely borrowing characters to use them as puppets to animate my plot! -Naruto characters: -sweat drop--

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**Crying Out**

By Shinedown

Don't use a weakness  
Don't change the subject,  
Don't ask the questions if you fear the answer  
You look distorted  
Lets make you clearer  
Let's flip the switch and use the smoke and mirrors  
Re-invent yourself today  
Re-invent your world today

Crying out for the last time  
Clear a space for the warning signs  
Crying out for the last time  
And there's no turning back now that you've opened up to your mind

What guides your vision  
What holds the balance  
Don't think that I can't see you shake and tremble  
Well I know your nervous this world is scary  
You have to let go all the madness you carry

Re-invent yourself today  
Re-invent your world today

CHORUS

There is no turning back now  
Everything you've ever wanted  
Everything in this moment  
There is no turning back now

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Chapter Two: The Secrets I Keep…

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Sakura collapsed against the back of her door, tears filling her eyes again. He knew! He knew her secret! Her sin, her guilt, her punishment! He knew it all! And now, she had burdened another with her pain, when it was supposed to be only hers to bear. She pulled her knees up to her chin and hugged them close, trying to find warmth and feeling in a home and life that sucked it all away. Living with Sasuke was like living with a black hole. He sucked light and warmth in with abandon, like he would never be filled. Sakura knew why he did it, even if he didn't himself. He was searching for what he lost. For everything he had lost. The drinking, the sleeping around, inflicting pain upon his wife…it all had a reason behind it.

He was looking for the power he lost when Orochimaru died.

He was searching for a reason to live after his only purpose of killing his brother had been fulfilled.

He was searching for the love and family that had been ripped away from him mercilessly.

And it was a problem, because he would never be able to find what he was so desperately looking for. And this was a reason, next to the fear, that Sakura let him have his way. Because she could never forget the boy Sasuke used to be. Every time she looked into his angry, empty sharingan eye, she hoped beyond hope to glimpse the boy who held a dream and an ambition. The boy who loved his friends, even if he wasn't good at expressing it. And that was a reason she wouldn't tell a soul. And it was the reason she wanted to be the one to heal him.

Sakura fell into her customary daze, loosing track of time. She jolted when she felt the door press on her back, the tell tale scent of hard liquor and perfume alerting her to who was on the other side of the door. Terror filled her as she scrambled away to allow her husband entrance. Angering him meant she may not wake up in a few days, so she avoided it as much as she could. The door finally opened all the way, revealing Sasuke leaning on the door jamb, his sharingan eyes leering at her with hatred, distain, and unrestrained lust. Violence lived in those eyes. He stumbled forward to where Sakura was quivering on the floor. Instead of grabbing her head in usual fashion, he clumsily leaned over to breath heavily into her ear. "I hear you put Kakashi-sensei into the hospital Sakura. Such power and strength, yet here you are…cowering on the floor at my feet. Like you should be. But I'm upset that you don't put up a fight if that much power resides within you. It would be much more fun to take you if you fought back." Sakura was violently shaking now, her eyes leaking tears as she sat frozen, pinned by those sharingan eyes. She quickly found herself backhanded, thrown against the wall. She felt some blood trickle down to her chin and she hesitantly wiped it away.

Sasuke was back in front of her before she could blink, her face roughly gripped in his calloused, cold hands. He was always cold; every bit of him was like ice. In the back of her mind, she vaguely remembered her chin being held reverently by warm, rough hands earlier that night. Her face soon collided with the wooden floor beneath her. "Woman! Do not daze out like you usually do! Not that I know you can fight! You will be coherent! You will push back!" Sakura sobbed. She couldn't possibly hit him. She never could. It never entered her mind, even after all that he had put her through. She cried out as she felt her arm being taken in his strong grip and twisted around. She heard the snap and bit her lip to contain her cry of pain. She tasted the blood as her teeth sunk into her flesh. She had always sought the pain before. How was now any different? Because she didn't want to remember…

Her arm dropped to the floor as Sasuke released it. Her green eyes observed the strange angle at which her upper arm was and knew that tomorrow she wouldn't be leaving the house. Sasuke snorted from above. "No worries. I'll get you to fight back, even if I have to kill that scum that was embracing you earlier tonight." Sakura's eyes widened in shock. He…he had seen… "I didn't place you to be a whore Sakura. I'm very disappointed. But no worries. After I have my way with him, you'll only have me. Maybe then you'll fight back." He smirked, then delivered a swift kick to her side. He stumbled back to the bedroom, slamming the door behind him. Sakura lay where he had left her on the floor, her mind whirling over the danger her friends had no entered. It was fine if only she received the punishment, but her friends…? Sakura's eyes finally closed a bit and tears softly, but quickly, worked their way down her face. Slowly she began to sit up, and then she moved herself over to the spare bedroom. She didn't want another swift kick while Sasuke was leaving in the morning. She took off her shirt and began tending to her broken bone, all the while lamenting over Sasuke's discovery.

'Shikamaru…what have you done…?'

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Shikamaru sighed as he walked through the Konoha streets. It had taken all of his self-restraint last night not to grab Sakura and drag her away from her problems. But to an extent, he understood some of her logic. She was extremely powerful and could take the beatings Sasuke laid on her. If it were him, he would've broken long ago. Sakura would prefer to be the one hurt if it meant no one else was. This was her sense of honor, her sense of sacrifice. His hands curled into fists inside his pant's pockets. But her damn sense of pride was going to get her killed. Then where would Sasuke turn his sadistic tendencies to?

He easily avoided bumping into the inhabitants of the village during the busy hour. He glanced up at his destination, eyeballing the large fire kanji on it with distaste. Of all the times for Tsunade-sama to call upon him… He thought back to last night, after watching Sakura walk into the house. When he had turned to walk away, he been terrified to find two red eyes following his every move. He knew…and that placed Sakura in danger. But he couldn't do anything until Sakura asked for help. Until that time, he was burdened with the knowledge that he had inadvertently placed Sakura in more pain. He silently cursed his lapse in judgment. Usually he was better than that. Once again he had failed to keep a team mate safe. He cleared his mind as he found himself in front of the Godaime Hokage's door, knowing a mission was more than likely awaiting him on the other side. One that would leave Sakura even more defenseless.

He politely knocked three times and walked in upon Tsunade permitting him entrance. He glared at the imposing woman, thinking of all the trouble she was causing him. "Oi, Shikamaru-san. Just the jounin I needed to see. I have a mission for you." Shikamaru let his displeasure show further, his brows creasing and his frown deepening. His expertise was needed here in Konoha, not somewhere else. Stupid, troublesome woman…

He was surprised when the blonde woman suddenly became very serious, worry clouding her normally fiery eyes. "Kakashi-san came to me today. He is very worried about the relationship between the Uchiha couple. He states that Sakura only trains with him nowadays, yet injuries he knows he didn't inflict appear on her body. They were only glimpses, but he sees them so often to know that even Sakura is not clumsy enough to get that many by mistake. Kakashi would take care of this himself, but problems have arisen in the Water Country that only he can take care of. He suggested you." Shikamaru's face had paled considerably, but he attempted to cover his uneasiness with the mission he had been assigned. But this was good. He could stop others from investigating it to spare Sakura more pain until she was ready to strike.

Tsunade was surprised to see the color drain away as Shikamaru struggled to hide his slip-up. "Tsunade-sama, it is rude to intrude on others' private lives. Besides, who really can stand a chance against Uchiha Sasuke if we angered him?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "Nara-san, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were terrified of this mission. Sasuke has been known to make mistakes. Though his sharingan covers for his brashness while angered, even it can fail him. Unlike the Byakugan, the sharingan can only see what is in front of it. Sasuke does not have eyes in the back of his head. I am assigning you for many reasons. One, personal detachment from the parties involved. Two, I have faith in Kakashi-san's faith in you. And three, you possess the greatest mind Konoha has ever seen. If you can't come up with something to defeat Sasuke, assuming he's guilty, then this village has lost all hope." Shikamaru winced at Tsunade's proclamation. "You place too much faith in the abilities of others, Hokage-sama. But I will do as I am told and look into this 'suspicion.' I doubt that there will be anything to find. Sakura, being the loudmouth she is, surely wouldn't keep quiet about such a serious thing. If that is all, I shall make my exit now." When Tsunade hesitantly nodded, Shikamaru gave a stiff, shallow bow before walking out. He paused, hand on the door knob when a meek voice rose to meet his ears. He found himself surprised to find that it belonged to the Godaime Hokage, Terror of Konoha. "Fear can make even the most bold and strong bow down in weakness. Please Shikamaru, Sakura is like the daughter I never had…I've passed down my legacy to her." He held his stance for a few seconds, then walked out without saying a word. 'I was devoted to this mission before you asked it of me Tsunade. I'll free her if it kills me.'

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Sakura groaned as she snapped out of her daze, finally noticing the sunlight filtering through the window onto where she was sitting. She bit her lip to stop the hiss of pain from escaping as she jostled her broken, but bound arm. Last night came careening back into her mind, and her eyes misted over. She was in deep shit now. He knew that she could beat out Kakashi in a fight.

Composing herself a bit, she stood and walked out to the kitchen. As she glanced about, she realized that the only thing used in there anymore was the coffee maker. She used to remember making meals as she waited for Sasuke to come home, some her first and only happy memories with her husband. She remembered one night in particular, one that, even though she hated Sasuke, she treasured the most.

(_flashback)_

_He had been gone on an ANBU mission for the past few weeks, right after their honeymoon. The house was just being broken in, and Sakura decided, since she had heard that Sasuke was returning that night, that she would make a feast for her returning, beloved husband. She had spent all day laboring in the kitchen, chopping vegetables and meat, cooking noodles and rice, adding spices, tasting each dish to ensure its perfection. Just as she was a master of controlling her chakra with exactness, she applied her ability to cooking. Though many say that cooking is an art, Sakura had managed to turn it into a respectable science. And she loved it. Finally, the hour of Sasuke's return was at hand, and Sakura had turned out all the lighting except a few candles scattered about the house. Roses sat in a vase in the middle of the food-laden table, adding to the romantic atmosphere that was already prevalent. When he had come in the door, covered in scratches, bruises, and blood, Sakura had abandoned all thoughts of a romantic evening. Instead she immediately went about to healing him, helping him back to their bedroom while stripping his clothes so that she could see all of his injuries. He had chuckled a bit, and given her a loving smile. "Was that dinner for me? How long did it take you to make it?" Sakura smiled a bit as she started to clean a particularly nasty wound on his shoulder. "Hai, it was for you. I worked all day. But this is more important. Dinner can wait." She hadn't been paying much attention to what Sasuke was doing, so it came as a complete surprise and shock when Sasuke had grabbed her and firmly, but gently placed her on the mattress beneath him. His eyes, still black then, had smoldered with emotion. Sakura had been speechless, swept away by what she had seen in those eyes. "Thank you Sakura." And he had kissed her. Her first kiss since their wedding. And her first passion filled night. Needless to say, Sasuke's wounds were completely forgotten until the next morning. Sakura had berated him for his distraction, but he only chuckled, asking her if he could do it again. Needless to say, his wounds were forgotten again…_

_(end flashback)_

Running her fingertips over one of the dusty counters, she noticed a note sitting on the dining room table through the doorway, folded neatly four times. Shaken, a pit suddenly appearing in her stomach, she approached the folded note with the caution one approaches something dangerous. One hand over her broken arm in reminder of last night, she took a few seconds to just stare the note down, contemplating what Sasuke could possibly want to communicate to her. Slowly, she released her arm and picked up the yellowed parchment, unfolding it to reveal neat, perfect handwriting.

My Dear Sakura,

I suggest you get healed before tonight. I don't want my favorite toy broken before I _really_ begin to play with it. I look forward to you struggling beneath me, crying and begging for mercy after I break you again. If you fucking run to the nerd-boy, I'll personally see to it that he dies a slow death right in front of you.

Love,

Your Husband

Sakura dropped to her knees, covering her mouth with the unhurt hand. She needed to keep Shikamaru away. She needed him to go away. She refused to be responsible for him becoming hurt. Dropping the note on the floor, she stood and walked to the front door. She needed to get to the hospital. She would be unable to heal herself because she couldn't perform the jutsus necessary to reform the bone. But what could she possibly say? She fell down? Because that would explain the bruises on her face perfectly well. And not even Kakashi could land this much damage on her…well, she would just have to lie her way through Tsunade. Like how she had lied through the past few years. She was flawless at executing them now, it was like breathing. Stepping out into the bright sun, she prepared herself for the agonizing day ahead of her.

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Shikamaru slowly trudged through the streets, heading toward Sakura's house with the intention of telling her that he would help her whether she liked it or not and that he had the Hokage's permission to raise hell. That intention was wiped from his mind when a punch was planted on his right cheek for god knows where. Spewing curses at his attacker, he whirled around, fully intending to beat the crap out of whoever had dared attack him without reason, and while he was thinking dammit! Using the momentum from turning around, he started to swing a left hook at the side of his aggressor's head, fully intending to bring a world of pain down upon them, but stopped in shock just centimeters from said aggressor's face. Standing before him was a fuming Naruto, who looked like he was seconds from unleashing the growling Kyuubi on the unsuspecting Nara. Pointed teeth bared, claws extended, and eyes full of murderous intent, Naruto swung again at Shikamaru. "You'd fucking dare to lay a finger on Sakura, you ungrateful bastard!" Shikamaru wasted no time in binding Naruto in his shadow jutsu.

"Naruto, what the hell are you talking about?" The blonde man struggled against his unseen bonds, snarling at the man who bound him. "You fucking beat Sakura. You were the last to see her last night!" Shikamaru's eyes narrowed, already knowing what had happened, but hid it from Naruto. "Regardless of what you think Naruto, the only way in which I touched Sakura last night was to comfort her. Beyond that, I have not touched her nor seen her since last night. Now how about you use that brain you were supposedly born with and think things through before jumping to conclusions." Shikamaru scowled, putting his hands back in his pockets. Muttering a, "Troublesome…" he watched as Naruto finally calmed down. The blonde still looked angry, but not murderously so. "Shikamaru, you can release me now. I won't attack you. But I'm still suspicious of you. If I find that you've lied to me, you'll find a three tailed Uzamaki Naruto slowly squeezing the life out of you." Naruto sealed his threat with an unrestrained release of his massive chakra store. Sweat broke on Shikamaru's brow, not from fear, but from the sheer force that radiated off of Naruto. Shikamaru looked up into Naruto's eyes, his own brown orbs reflecting a strange emotion to Naruto. "If I am lying, then I will not hesitate to take my own life. I would never hurt Sakura, nor anyone of this village unless they intentionally caused harm." With that, Shikamaru released Naruto from his jutsu. Naruto stood there for a moment, his blue eyes leering into Shikamaru's, searching for any sign of deception. And Shikamaru let him search freely. Seemingly satisfied after a few minutes, Naruto turned to walk away but called over his shoulder, "For your sake Nara, you'd better not hide anything or lie to me." And then he disappeared like a shadow into the crowd.

Shikamaru scowled. So he was right. Sasuke had seen them last night and had beaten Sakura for it. He sighed and brought up his right hand to massage his temple in frustration. The things he got himself into. But he knew that this one time, it wasn't troublesome to him. Sakura's life was on the line, and he'd be damned if he let her down. He'd die before her if that is what it took to save her. He set off in the direction of Sakura's and Sasuke's house, fully intending to check on Sakura himself. In the blur of his thoughts, he had actually forgotten that Sakura couldn't possibly be at her home, for Naruto had seen her. Lost in his thoughts, he continued to wander through the crowd. Not paying too much attention to where he was going, but usually being very good at avoiding contact in busy places, Shikamaru was startled when he bumped very hard into another person,

His thoughts came snapping back to the present as his eyesight finally caught a head of pale pink tumbling to the ground, followed by a hiss of pain. Shocked, he looked down to see Sakura wincing, covered in bruises and gripping her arm in pain. Faint tears were in her eyes as she now glanced up irritated at the person who had so rudely slammed into her. She wasn't about to admit that she had been lost in a daze of her own, brought on by pain, fear, and a delectable numbness that had been beginning to set in.

Green eyes stared in badly disguised surprise at brown. "Shi-Shikamaru? What…" At the sound of Sakura's weak voice, Shikamaru snapped out of his personal world to kneel quickly next to Sakura, anger and worry lacing every movement. Gingerly, he reached out with a steady hand to brush against the large, ugly bruise on the kunoichi's cheek. His eyebrows drew together in fury. "How could he? Sakura, you can't stay with him anymore. I can't sit and watch you die a slow, painful death. As a friend and team mate, I cannot allow this to go any further." Sakura looked away, the tears spilling over once again. What was wrong with her? Wasn't she supposed to be the most powerful ninja in the village next to Kakashi-sensei? And yet she broke down in tears every time the pain began for real. How pathetic… She began the struggle to stand back up without jarring too many of her injuries. Until she felt a hand on her shoulder gently but firmly stop her progress. She looked back up at Shikamaru. "You need to get to the hospital so that arm can be fixed. Here, allow me." Shikamaru guided her back down to a seated position, her legs out in front of her. He walked over to her uninjured side and knelt back down, placing one arm around her shoulders, the other underneath her knees. "Place your arm so that I won't hurt it too much while carrying you. Sakura nodded, her face red with shame and embarrassment. She refused to look at the jounin, instead hissing as she brought her broken arm in front of her and supported it with the other on her stomach. A ninja who couldn't even defend herself. How humiliating…

Shikamaru waited until Sakura had stopped moving, then rose gracefully with the kunoichi in his arms. He stopped before moving forward to see if holding her was hurting her arm. Not seeing signs of fresh pain or discomfort, he began to walk forward. Sakura noted to herself that though Shikamaru always presented himself as rough around the edges, his skin was spectacularly smooth, as was his fluid walk.

Sakura shook her head. She couldn't think these things about someone else. She was married! She loved her husband, regardless of how he may treat her. Sakura then sighed to herself. Who was she kidding? She had more fear of Sasuke than love for him. She turned and buried her face into Shikamaru's chest, not wanting him to see the tears that were leaking over again. She held her sobs in, but that didn't stop them from wracking her body. Shikamaru gave a gentle squeeze around Sakura's shoulders as he kept walking, looking straight ahead. He had seen the tears beginning to run out of her eyes before she had tucked her head against his torso, and was giving her space to grieve her poor fortune.

He had arrived at the hospital soon enough, but paused right outside the doors. Here was the point of no return. He walked through this door, and Sakura could never go back. A war would begin between Konoha and Sasuke if he became hostile again. He squeezed Sakura again, who had come up to see why Shikamaru had stopped. He looked down into her eyes, his face in his normal, but now worried, scowl. "If we walk through these doors Sakura, you can't go back. I won't let you go back. You understand?"

Sakura let her eyes drift to the doors in front of them, a mixture of want and terror looming in them. After a few seconds, her eyes flickered with determination. "I…understand. Go Shikamaru, before I become too afraid of what he will do to you." With her two cents in, she laid her head back on his chest, now taking note of the strong, steady heartbeat inside. Just like how he is steady, a constant within Konoha. As she felt him begin to move forward, she placed her good hand on his chest, halting his movements. She looked up at him from where her head rested. "Promise you won't leave me alone, not until we know he's gone and will never come back?"

Shikamaru's scowl softened. "That is a promise I cannot make." Sakura's face fell, and she began to move a little bit in his hands, intending to walk into the hospital herself and not get Shikamaru involved in her problems, hurt that after she began to think he cared, that he really didn't. "But I promise that I will safeguard you until my death. That is a promise I can make." She paused in her struggling and looked back up at Shikamaru. He gave her a tender smile to assure her of his promise. "As long as I am living, as long as I have a breath in my body, I will not leave you alone. I will not let Sasuke near you again, no matter what it takes." Sakura nodded her head and let him continue into the hospital, her hand now fisted tightly in his fishnet shirt, grabbing onto the only thing besides pain that had gone through this ordeal with her from the beginning. She closed her eyes and heard a bustle of commotion surround them as they stepped into the emergency room, and cries as people spotted her battered condition in his arms. She closed her eyes in fear.

She felt herself being pried from Shikamaru and laid down onto a gurney. But her outrageously strong grip did not release from Shikamaru's shirt. "Don't leave me alone…" she whimpered. She then felt his rough, warm hands cover the one she had fisted in his shirt and make it release the fabric. Panicking that he was going to abandon her, her eyes flew open, searching for his face. Then she felt one of his hands hold hers in a firm grip. "I won't. I made a promise. The doctors will have to kill me before I leave you." He gave her a small, comforting smile.

The gurney began to move forward and Shikamaru's hand never left hers. She smiled vaguely as she heard the nurses verbally attempt to pry Shikamaru away and his vindictive retorts and threats that followed. Her eyes were beginning to droop, and she felt a vague surprise.

Haruno Sakura was going to sleep for the first time in years.

She turned head to look with half-lidded eyes at Shikamaru. She mouthed a 'thank you' as he looked down at her. He returned with a reassuring squeeze to her hand as they began moving through the hallways of the hospital. Sakura's eyes drifted shut as they entered the room where she was to be looked over and cared for, and she was swept into a blissful oblivion, with knowledge that when she came back, she would still be safe. Safe in the hands of the only person who knew of her pain and solitude. Nara Shikamaru, not quite the knight in shining armor, but quite the savior with warmth and gentleness in his heart.

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A/N: Bwah! I was hoping to get as many words out this chapter as the last one, but alas… anyways, review and let me know what you think!


	3. The Promise You Made

Falls Apart

-----------------------

Disclaimer: Me no own Naruto nor Shinedown. Got it? Good.

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Just Breathe

By Anna Nalick

2 AM and she calls me 'cause I'm still awake,  
Can you help me unravel my latest mistake,  
I don't love him, winter just wasn't my season  
Yeah we walk through the doors, so accusing their eyes  
Like they have any right at all to criticize,  
Hypocrites, you're all here for the very same reason

'Cause you can't jump the track,we're like cars on a cable  
And life's like an hourglass, glued to the table  
No one can find the rewind button girl,  
So cradle your head in your hands  
And breathe, just breathe,  
Woah breathe, just breathe

May he turn 21 on the base at Fort Bliss  
Just a day, he sat down to the flask in his fist,  
Ain't been sober, since maybe October of last year.  
Here in town you can tell he's been down for a while,  
But my God it's so beautiful when the boy smiles,  
Wanna hold him, maybe I'll just sing about it.

Cause you can't jump the track, we're like cars on a cable,  
And life's like an hourglass, glued to the table.  
No one can find the rewind button boys,  
So cradle your head in your hands,  
And breathe, just breathe,  
Woah breathe, just breathe

There's a light at each end of this tunnel, you shout  
'Cause you're just as far in as you'll ever be out  
These mistakes you've made, you'll just make them again  
If you only try turning around.

2 AM and I'm still awake, writing a song  
If I get it all down on paper, its no longer  
Inside of me, threatening the life it belongs to  
And I feel like I'm naked in front of the crowd  
Cause these words are my diary, screaming out loud  
And I know that you'll use them, however you want to

Cause you can't jump the track, we're like cars on a cable,  
And life's like an hourglass, glued to the table  
No one can find the rewind button now  
Sing it if you understand.  
And breathe, just breathe  
Woah breathe, just breathe,  
Oh breathe, just breathe.

------------------------------

Chapter 3: The Promise You Made

------------------------------

Sakura mumbled as light struck the outside of her eyes, casting a red glare onto her retina. Determined to maintain her first sleep in years, she rolled over and threw an arm over her eyes. She then heard a light, deep masculine chuckle from next her where she now faced. Pouting, Sakura refused to open her eyes and wake up.

"You can't make me…" she grumbled quietly, going to pull sheets over her head. She then came to the realization that someone was holding her hand, prohibiting her current search for a dark, warm cave. Confusion muddled her senses and she cracked an eye open to see who dared interrupt her precious sleep. A masculine outline was first apparent against an atrociously bright white background.

Squinting to block out the intense whiteness, the outline began to fill in with features, soon revealing a smirking Shikamaru. Her eyes now popped all the way open as she glanced down to where their hands were clasped together, the events leading up to this moment finally flooding her mind. Immediately she froze as fear rose up. How long had she been here? Had Sasuke returned to find her gone? And if so, what was he planning? Did he know who had taken her? Her teal eyes whipped up to now concerned brown ones.

"Sakura, what's wrong?" Shikamaru brought up his other hand and clasped her much smaller between them. Sea foam green eyes regarded him with fear.

"How long Shikamaru? How long have we been here?" He knew why she was asking this. And he wasn't going to let her bolt through the front door of the hospital, only to end up in worse condition at the hands of Sasuke.

"It's only been about four hours. Tsunade healed you as quickly as she could, but you've been passed out." Besides, if he allowed Sakura to run away to Sasuke again, he didn't know who would invent the worst possible death for him to suffer: Kakashi, Naruto, or Tsunade-sama. Shikamaru leaned toward Naruto being the most inventive, but Tsunade knew how to apply pain due to medical training.

Sakura relaxed her terror a little with this information. She was healed and still had plenty of time to run back before Sasuke returned home. She had to act like nothing was wrong. She had to protect Shikamaru from Sasuke's rage.

Shikamaru…

That name now wrought confusion in her mind. He had flipped her world upside down in just a few days. Yet for some reason, she had known it was only a matter of time before he did. He suspected from the minute Sasuke had returned to Konoha that something would go wrong. Sakura was surprised that he had taken the initiative and stepped up to help her personally though. Even if she knew that he knew about the abusive relationship, she had always thought that he would tell someone else and leave it as their problem. But here he was, sitting next to her in the hospital, holding her hand to comfort her.

Glancing down at their clasped hands again, Sakura tried to process why he was going through such effort for her. With Shikamaru it had always been, "troublesome this" and "troublesome that." She watched and felt as Shikamaru gently squeezed her hand in reassurance.

"Why Shikamaru?"

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Shikamaru's brows rise in surprise and confusion. "Why what Sakura?"

She looked up at Shikamaru's face, drinking in his features and his expression in an attempt to understand what motivated Shikamaru. "Why me? Why help me? Why, when you could have dumped it on someone else, did you make the effort to come after me? You could be less bothered now, living lazily as you are wont to do."

Shikamaru flushed a bit in embarrassment and annoyance. How dare she call him out like that! Lazy…che! But he then settled down, his brows drawn together in concentration. Why did he? He knew very well it was Tsunade lording over him that made him take the mission. But what drove him to throw himself fully to the task? With fervor he felt could rival Naruto's? Was it the same as when he went out to retrieve Sasuke that first time? To help a comrade? No…it wasn't that. Then what could it be?

He blinked as a sudden thought broadsided him, his face skipping pink and lunging straight to red. Could he…could he possibly care for Sakura beyond friendship? After watching her all these years, he grudgingly admitted respect for the kunoichi for all that she suffered. But was it more than respect? Every time he saw her with new signs of abuse, did he grow jealous along with angry?

Sakura bit back a snicker as Shikamaru turned a brilliant shade of scarlet. His blush could even be seen through the fishnetting over his chest. But she pondered…what was he blushing about, or was he flushed with anger? Had she offended him? Her amusement promptly disappeared and she grew frantic. If she had made him angry, would he abandon her back to Sasuke? After he had promised to protect her.

Immediately Sakura began apologizing. "I-I'm sorry Shikamaru. I must have said something wrong. Please, don't be mad." Tears slowly crept back into her eyes and she cursed herself a thousand times over for her blatant show of weakness. Ninjas didn't cry. It was one of the laws of being a shinobi. And here she was, giving further proof that she was as weak as they came. Sasuke was right to spit on her and regard her as one regards a pathetic being.

Her eyes closed, not wanting to see the pitying look that Shikamaru was surely giving her. She was honestly surprised when she felt his hands release her one and was immediately embraced.

They sat like that for a few seconds as Shikamaru fumbled for something to say. The pain that had been in her voice, the way she seemed to shut down. He couldn't let her go numb again. She was beginning to return, even if it was just a ghost of her previous self. But it was really her, not an act. Sakura's face was now flushed due to the awkward hug. Her hands now hovered hesitantly over Shikamaru's back, unsure of how to react.

Shikamaru finally grasped upon something to say. "No. No, don't be sorry…" he whispered, "There's nothing for you to be sorry about. I'm not mad."

Sakura finally placed her hands on his back, her fingers sinking into his jounin jacket. She pulled him tight and buried her face into his chest. Shikamaru felt her hot tears, and sat down on the side of Sakura's bed, making it easier to hold her closer and comfort her. He didn't blame her for her tears. She had every right to cry. He suspected she hadn't cried in years.

Unconsciously, he pulled her closer, possessiveness sweeping fiercely through him. He rested his head on top of hers, once again vowing not to let harm befall her but also admitting to a feeling that was welling up within him. He _cared_ for Sakura, as someone more than a friend. He wanted her to be happy, no matter the cost.

He heard sobs and felt Sakura shaking against him. He felt her fingers clinging to his jounin vest like he was the only solid thing in her storm tossed world. And he was at the moment. He bit his lip as he felt tears rise up in his own eyes. To think what she had gone through all this time. Just enduring abuse after abuse, and have the strength to not cry out, to be strong in the hopes of saving her friends from a worse fate. To not die from the continuous pain and rise to become the most powerful ninja in Konoha…

"It's okay Sakura. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. It's okay…it's okay…" he shushed, rubbing his hand up and down her back soothingly. He wasn't sure who he was convincing, himself or Sakura, but he was surprised when his voice came out steady when he felt otherwise.

He'd been thrown mercilessly into Sakura's tempest tossed world, but there was no other place he'd rather be. If she was going to drown, he'd go down with just so that she'd know she wasn't alone.

He slowly felt her calming down and her body relaxing. But her grip on him didn't lessen. He felt her breath coming out on his chest in even puffs, enlightening him to the fact that she had fallen asleep again. Instead of shrugging out of her grip, he laid down next to her, justifying his actions with the thought of reassuring Sakura that she was not alone even in slumber.

He soon felt himself drifting away, but as with Sakura, his hold didn't slacken. '_I'll never let her go,_' he thought as he drifted to sleep, _'Never._'

Tsunade smiled sadly as she watched from the sliver in the door. He shouldn't have fallen so quickly; Sakura could be used against him now and vice versa. But she understood. And she was happy to know that if even everything went wrong, they had found peace if only for a little while.

Tsunade closed the door the rest of the way to afford them privacy. Both needed rest for the hell that would awaken tonight. She only hoped that Sakura would rise up against her fears and awaken the true power housed within her. If Sakura could beat out Kakashi while in pain and without any passion, imagine the fearsome strength that would be unleashed in a righteous anger. Sasuke wouldn't know what hit him.

A/N: Neh, I guess I had better start thanking everyone for their reviews. I'm sorry it took so long to get this chapter out and that it's short, but I only have so much time in my schedule.

Thanks to the following reviewers:

**Shinobi Darkbeak**

**Kerrie-chan**- Thanks, I didn't realize that it would be difficult to differentiate as to who was speaking, but then I again, I knew as I was typing. Hope this chapter was a bit better.

**merisa**

**AznNarutoGrl-91**- I'm definitely not the first to make a ShikaSaku story. I read one fanfiction on them and fell in love with the pairing. I forgot which story it was though…

**Raefire606**

**The Squabbit**- Your enthusiasm is appreciated. I don't typically think much of how good or bad my writing is. There are TONS of better writers out there.

**the.promise.kept**

**Dustbunny3**- -nods- But I love blocking…it keeps my thoughts organized. I dunno…I tried to break them up a bit with this chapter. Any better?

**Demonchild93**

**Dances With The Wind**

**Ankhazu**

**TobiasX**

**Yokaigurl**- -laughs- But killing Itachi is how Sasuke was allowed back into Konoha. They let him back even though he had become a missing nin because he had slayed Orochimaru and the Akatsuki. So that leaves the main couple to do the job…maybe… -grins maliciously-


	4. The Way She Breaks

Falls Apart

-------------------------------

Disclaimer: Naruto will forever be out of my reach. I am penniless.

-------------------------------

Chapter 4: The Way She Breaks

-------------------------------

**Gone**

By Kelly Clarkson

What you see's not what you get  
With you there's just no measurement   
No way to tell what's real from what isn't there  
Your eyes they sparkle  
That's all changed into lies that drop like acid rain  
You washed away the best of me  
You don't care

You know you did it  
I'm gone  
To find someone to live for  
In this world  
There's no light at the end of the tunnel tonight   
Just a bridge that I gotta burn  
You're wrong  
If you think you can walk right through my door  
That is just so you  
Coming back when I've finally moved on  
I'm already gone

Sometimes shattered  
Never open  
Nothing matters  
When you're broken   
That was me whenever I was with you  
Always ending  
Always over  
Back and forth, up and down like a rollercoaster  
I am breaking  
That habit  
Today

You know you did it  
I'm gone  
To find someone to live for  
In this world  
There's no light at the end of the tunnel tonight  
Just a bridge that I gotta burn  
You're wrong  
If you think you can walk right through my door  
That is just so you  
Coming back when I've finally moved on  
I'm already gone

There is nothing you can say  
Sorry doesn't cut it, babe  
Take the hint and walk away  
'Cause I'm gone  
Doesn't matter what you do  
It's what you did that's hurting you  
All I needed was the truth  
Now I'm gone

What you see's not what you get  
What you see's not what you get

You know you did it  
I'm gone  
To find someone to live for  
In this world  
There's no light at the end of the tunnel tonight   
Just a bridge that I gotta burn  
You're wrong  
If you think you can walk right through my door  
That is just so you  
Coming back when I've finally moved on  
I'm already gone  
I'm already gone  
Oh, I'm already gone, gone, gone, gone  
Already gone  
I'm gone

---------------------------

Tsunade softly knocked on the door where the two were still sleeping. As she opened the door, her heart melted at the sight that met her eyes.

Somehow in their three hours or so of sleep, Sakura had taken over the dominant support role. Where Shikamaru had originally been wrapped around Sakura, now the white-pink haired kunoichi was wrapped around the jounin.

His head was laid peacefully upon her chest, one of his arms thrown haphazardly over her slim waist. His face was the most relaxed Tsunade had ever seen it, his eyebrows no longer in their perpetual scowl, nor his mouth in its frown. Years seemed to be lifted from him and he appeared to be the twenty three year old he really was.

Sakura on the flipside, had one hand buried into Shikamaru's hair, the other hand grasping the jounin's arm around her waist. Her head was turned toward Shikamaru, and she too had become extremely youthful in her sleep, her pale hair framing her face like a halo.

Tsunade wished for anything in the world to stop her from waking the two up, but she knew that something had to be done about Sasuke before he came home and started ripping up Konoha. The only two who stood a chance at achieving this, were the sleeping couple before her.

Reluctantly, Tsunade reached a hand out to smooth Sakura's long pale bangs away from her face and tuck the errant strands behind the kunoichi's ear. Sakura was her legacy, the daughter she never had. And she wanted the young woman to be happy.

The Godaime cupped Sakura's face in her hand and gently spoke to wake her successful apprentice.

"Sakura…"

The Hokage was met with a soft groan, and a grimace from the female ninja.

"Sakura, you need to wake up. There are things you need to take care of before you can sleep."

Sea-foam green eyes blinked hazily open, immediately trying to focus on who ever it was that was so rudely interrupting her sleep.

"Tsu…nade?" Sakura narrowed her eyes to focus them.

"Hai. Good afternoon Sakura. You need to wake up. There are things you need to take care of. Plus I don't want to wake Shikamaru up. He seems to be the type that is grumpy when he wakes up." Tsunade gave a soft, but evil grin as she glanced down at the oblivious Nara.

Sakura immediately blushed ten shades of red. What the…? Since when was Shikamaru invited to share a bed with her? She never remembered extending that invitation to him. Not to mention his hentai placement of his head on her chest.

Tsunade quickly made tracks out of the room, not wanting to be privy to the hell that was about to break loose from Sakura.

"NARA SHIKAMARU! GET OFF OF ME AND MY BED!"

Shikamaru shot up immediately, forgetting where he was and toppling over and falling onto the tile floor due to the entanglement of limbs that tripped him up.

"What? What's going on? Are we being attacked?"

Sakura grabbed the nearest thing she could find to hurl at Shikamaru and came up with a tray that had brought food on it earlier. Without any preamble, she slammed it down on the crown of Shikamaru's head. "_You_ are being attacked! _I_ am attacking you, you perv! How dare you presume to sleep in the same bed as me! Wanting company and wanting someone to share a horizontal surface with are two _completely_ different things!"

Sakura's eyes were ablaze, and Shikamaru scuttled back on the tile floor in fear of his personal well-being.

"I'm sorry! I swear I'll never do it again!" Shikamaru lifted an arm up to block the green plastic food tray that was raining vengeance down upon his abused form. No doubt he'd have some impressive bruises in a few hours. Sakura and plastic trays were now labeled as public enemy number one for Shikamaru. In fact, he made a note to himself that _any_ object plus an angry Sakura was considered a threat to his life.

Sakura finally calmed down after Shikamaru's apology, but her eyebrow twitched every now and then to remind Shikamaru that he was still walking on thin ice. "Good. See to it that you don't."

The kunoichi then calmly placed the green tray of pain back where she had grabbed it from. Shikamaru visibly relaxed some more now that he was safe from an unreasonable beating.

Picking himself up off of the floor and brushing off non existent dust, Shikamaru let his customary scowl settle across his face. Shoving his hands into his pants pocket, he let lose a grumble.

"Troublesome…"

Shikamaru found himself on the floor again, sure that the welt appearing on his head had appeared out of nowhere, because he hadn't even seen Sakura lunge at him. Glancing at said kunoichi, he gulped nervously at the look of barely restrained hell on her face.

In an attempt to save his pathetic life, Shikamaru composed himself while staying on the floor, and cleared his throat.

"Neh, Sakura…do you feel better now? Because you need to be ready, whether you are feeling better or not. The time bomb is ticking."

Sakura immediately sobered up, her face going from a bright, heated red, to a clammy, pasty pale. Her hands clenched almost painfully onto the white hospital blanket covering her lower half.

"How…how could I forget? He's always been a time-bomb. I thought I could defuse him and I failed in that regard, but at least I could regulate when he detonated. He's not predictable now. He could act there's nothing wrong for a couple of days then go off, or maybe he'll have a meltdown right when he gets home and his wench isn't there to take his frustrations out on. All I was to him was some sort of indestructible sex toy that he could beat on without fear of it breaking."

Sakura was crying once again, but this time the tears weren't noticed. Instead, she grew angry. Angry at Sasuke for everything he'd done to her. Angry at herself for letting him have his way. She would redeem herself, even if it killed her. No matter that she was still scared shitless at the idea of squaring off with the Uchiha heir.

Shikamaru gazed up at Sakura, unsure of what to do. She was upset again, but this time…oh, if looks could kill…he wouldn't place his life on the line right now, for Sakura would surely beat the daylights out of him if he said anything now. Her and that damn green tray that was still within her arm reach. He shut his eyes in aggravation, his eyebrow twitching to show his irritation at his situation. Sheesh, talk about being caught between a rock and a hard place.

Shikamaru set his mind to thinking, plotting how he could attempt to calm Sakura down without endangering his life and his clan. He opened one eye, turning it to the tray as it rested almost innocently on the table next to Sakura's bed.

He could have sworn it was mocking him, taunting that he wouldn't get within a few feet of it before Sakura gave him a concussion. Mentally sneering at it, he turned his one open eye back to Sakura, who still hadn't shown signs of calming.

He shouldn't lunge straight for the tray. That would be too obvious, yet she probably wouldn't suspect him of being so bold. She would suspect him to be sneaky and smart with his planning, going on a convoluted, twisted path in order to liberate the mocking green tray from Sakura's hostility.

He opted for the bold maneuver in just grabbing it. It was obviously something he wouldn't normally due.

With his mind made up, Shikamaru opened both eyes and calmly walked up next to Sakura's bed, grabbing the tray with ease and moving out of striking distance. Shikamaru pouted when he saw that Sakura hadn't even processed that he had removed her favorite weapon from her domineering grasp.

And it also concerned him.

Depositing the tray on the floor next to the door, he walked up to Sakura's bed, sitting his weight down on the edge. He knew he risked getting abused again, but he needed her alert for tonight.

Tentatively, he reached both his hands out to cover Sakura's fisted ones. After sensing no improvement, Shikamaru gently, but firmly began to pry Sakura's death grip from the hostage blanket.

Once he had freed them, he found her crushing grip being transferred to his own hands. He bit back a yelp as he felt his knuckles grind together. Not to be deterred from his task, Shikamaru ignored the pain in his hands to focus on Sakura's distant, angry visage.

"Sakura? Sakura, come on, you need to snap out of your mood. We can't fight if you are like this."

Still no response. Shikamaru growled in the back of his mind. 'Troublesome…' Sighing to himself, he decided that if he was going to get hit, then heck, he was going to get hit.

Shikamaru carefully extracted and lifted his one of his hands and gently grasped Sakura's chin in his fingers.

"Sakura…Sakura you need to snap out of this. I understand that this entire ordeal is a shock to the system. But you need to regroup."

He shook her gently. He held himself from leaping out of skin when Sakura's angry, tormented sea-foam eyes turned from burning a hole in the hospital blanket, to searing him.

"Neh, Sakura. Better now?"

Sakura's eyes narrowed causing Shikamaru to visibly shrink back. "Much better. Let's get this over with while I'm still pissed."

Sakura yanked her head out of Shikamaru's grasp and let go of his hand as if it were poisoned. Inside her head, she was lost in an angry red haze. All she could think of were all the terrible things Sasuke had done to her when she had been nothing but a loving wife, catering to his every need. He'd ruined her future! They were supposed to be married happily, with many little Uchiha heirs scampering about.

Then a thought side-struck her: how, after all of these years of being lovers, had she not had a child? It was strange to think that after all this time and not using protection, that she wasn't pregnant. Was that why Sasuke was mad? Why he slept with other women? It answered a lot of questions…

Shikamaru watched as Sakura half rose out of the bed before stiffening. He was taken aback at the look of shock that crossed her face, her eyes glazed and her mouth hanging slightly open.

He grouched to himself. First sad, then righteously angry, then sad again, then stark raving mad, now this… He scratched behind his head, attempting to assess his situation, so as to best approach it without causing an uproar.

How? How could this happen? Surely she would know if she was barren or not. _How?_ She sat back down in a daze, her back toward Shikamaru as she analyzed this life changing realization. No kids? No family? No boo-boos, cute baby clothes, parent-teacher conferences? No watching as her son or daughter proudly graduated from the shinobi academy? No letting her kids pick on Naruto while she visited Hinata?

'_I want a family…now I see that I never had the ability…'_

Sakura felt a few tears drop silently down her face from the shock of her revelation. She brought a hand up and wiped the wet trails off of her face, staring numbly at the glistening upon her fingers.

She'd never actually believed she had wanted children, to settle down and start a family. But you never know what you got 'til it's gone.

She smirked in irony as she remembered that song. She'd liked it, but not because it had applied to her. The song had a certain quality that she enjoyed, but she couldn't place a finger on why.

Brokenly, Sakura sang under her breath. "And don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you got until it's gone…they paved paradise to put up a parking lot…"

She started as she felt a hand fall on her shoulder. She turned her head to look up at Shikamaru who was doing his best to look comforting, but looking extremely uncomfortable all the while. She placed her hand on top of his and gave him a watery smile.

"I'm so sorry Shikamaru. I've been unstable for so long, and I'm setting it all loose on you. I'm alright."

Shikamaru seemed to relax a bit. She'd found a center, sad but calm. Anger would be preferable for what was coming, but any sort of collected thought processes were thankful.

"Some clothes are waiting for you in the bathroom. Hurry up and get dressed. We don't have much time to get ready."

Sakura nodded and let go of Shikamaru, standing smoothly up, but feeling like her bones were made of lead. She slowly moved out into the hallway towards the bathroom, never feeling Shikamaru's eyes leave her form. Her heart warmed a bit that someone was concerned. Maybe she would survive the night, just knowing that someone would miss her.

She walked into the bathroom and shut the door behind her, locking it for some privacy that she hadn't had in a couple of days. She eyed the clothes sitting innocently on the sink, scowling as she realized that the shirt wasn't long sleeved.

Tearing her eyes from the clothing, she glanced into the mirror. Normally she wouldn't be so shocked at her reflection, but she had not honestly _looked_ at herself in a long time. She drank in the figure that stared at her with long, silky pink-white hair and frothy green eyes.

She brought up a hand and brushed her fingers underneath her eyes, marveling at the lack of the sags that had taken up residence there over her years of insomnia. Her face had lost its childish aspect, filling out for high cheekbones but flattening their planes.

That person in the mirror couldn't possibly be her. The person was too beautiful to be her, and her forehead was a normal size.

After getting her fill of wondering who it was on the other side of the mirror, she turned back to the pile of clothes. But damn it all, she knew who had picked these clothes out.

Tsunade-sama had always had it out for her, saying Sakura had a wonderful, toned body and that it needed to be displayed properly. Sakura could almost swear her sensei had checked her out a few times, and not in a very professional manner.

Sakura always had to wonder why Tsunade had never had a boyfriend.

Grumbling at her poor luck and at a scheming sensei, Sakura angrily grabbed the clothes off of the counter and put them on.

----------------------------

"Sakura, are you going to come out? You've been in there for almost twenty minutes."

"Not until you grab Tsunade and drag her hentai ass here so she can explain a few things to me, Shikamaru."

Shikamaru scowled. Why wouldn't she come out? She had clothes didn't she?

'_Troublesome…_'

"But _why_ won't you come out? I need to give Tsunade-sama a reason to come here. She is a busy Godaime."

"She knows damn well why I'd be asking for her to come down here. So I don't need to tell you, and hopefully you'll never find out. NOW GO GET HER!" Sakura shouted angrily.

As Shikamaru grumbled, but walked away, Sakura seethed as she glanced down at her outfit. There was a _severe_ lack of cloth on her body. And she was not happy about it.

The black skirt was about the same as her old one, if not a tad bit shorter, with the slits in the sides going a couple more centimeters higher, along with being low-rise. The irritating black thong underwear would only fit if the straps rose high up over her hip bones before sinking back underneath the skirt's minimal material. But what really had her going was the top. It wasn't even qualified to be a shirt. Instead, it fit in the category of a glorified bra.

The straps only went over one shoulder, and there were four of them. One strap started on the far opposite side of where it went over the shoulder. The second was a little closer, but remained on the same cup as the last one. The straps went so on and so forth, and were the same way on the back. The entire contraption was a teal that brought out her eyes.

And her shoes! She was going to _kill_ her sensei. Who in their right mind would fight in high heels?

Sneering disgustedly at her outfit, Sakura failed to realize that the door was being unlocked from the outside. So when it finally opened, Sakura whirled in surprise, immediately _en garde_.

Now faced with a smirking sennin, Sakura let loose her fearsome rage.

"How dare you! This is a complete embarrassment and a mockery to shinobi. You know this is not a serviceable uniform for duty at any place but a brothel!"

The smirk grew along with the Godaime's amusement.

"But Sakura, you look so beautiful! You never wear anything flattering. All you need is to put your hair up into a ponytail and put on some clothe strips around your wrists and one around your thigh, then you'll be good to go."

Sakura blushed, but didn't let her fury lessen. "What did you do to my other clothes? I need to change."

Tsunade snickered conspiratorially. Sakura did not like the look on her face.

"They were all blood stained and had to be disposed of."

"They were not blood stained! All I had wrong with me was a broken arm and a few bruises on both skin and ribs. Stupid sennin! You're no better than Jiraiya! Hentai woman!"

The Godaime's smirk disappeared after that statement.

"Having an eye for beauty and being hentai are two completely different things. For one, I have no intention of getting in your pants, or just staring at you. I, for a matter, think it is a waste to hide beauty. As a kunoichi, beauty can get you into hard to infiltrate places that even some high level shinobi can't get into. Besides, I don't think Shikamaru minds your new look."

Sakura looked sharply behind Tsunade, having completely forgotten that the jounin had followed the Godaime back from her office. The shinobi was failing miserably to hide an extravagant blush that stained his cheeks as he screwed his eyes shut in order to not gawk at Sakura's seemingly half-naked body.

"And you expect me to work in this around _him_? Tsunade-baasan, you're sick. This not practical for either him or I. So get me my old clothes back, or go buy me some more decent ones."

Sakura looked ready to kill as Tsunade shook her head in a negative, her smirk ever going.

"As Godaime, I do not take orders from anyone, much less a little chuunin. So you're stuck Sakura, and you better like it."

The chuunin remark was the last straw for Sakura. It wasn't her fault that she'd been too oppressed these past few years to take the jounin exam. Sasuke, while he was still nice to her, had said that there was no need to for her to do so while he lived with her. That he'd protect her. Some promise that had been.

In a fury, Sakura lunged at Tsunade and planted a fist into the side her face and then a kick to the Godaime's other side.

Immediately feeling some relief as she watched Tsunade drop to the floor in pain and shock that she'd been struck, Sakura smirked.

"You've gotten slow Tsunade-sama. Getting struck by a chuunin can't be good for everyone's view of the all powerful Godaime."

As Tsunade now gave a genuine smile, Sakura was knocked off guard. Had the old woman finally gone mad?

"Sakura, congradulations. You've just passed your impromptu jounin exam. No one besides Jiraiya has been able to land a blow on me for years. I never even saw that coming. You've become a true kunoichi, and I am proud of you. I always knew you had great, unrealized potential. The shame of it is that it took Sasuke abusing you to bring it out."

Sakura's mind reeled to a halt at the name. She didn't want to think about him. She didn't want to face him. The Leaf-nin who had slaughtered legendary S-class nin with barely any effort. She couldn't defeat him. It took effort still to spar with Kakashi and she never walked away unscathed as Sasuke had.

Sasuke scared her as no one else ever had. And now she had to square off with him.

Wearing this completely indecent outfit.

Sakura snorted, her anger being replaced with annoyance and a bit of apprehension. "Why thank you Godaime-sama. I cannot possibly express my gratitude at your gift of this title. If you are done fooling around and pissing me off, _where the fuck are my other clothes_?"

Sakura leveled the Godaime sitting on the floor with a look that contained no humor or even room for it.

Tsunade sighed.

"Sadly, we did cut them off because I knew you would do this. So you are stuck in that outfit because I cannot leave the hospital to purchase you some new ones. Besides, it's getting late and stores are beginning to shut down and people _are getting ready to go home_. I suggest you get home before he does, and take Shikamaru with you."

Sakura glanced at the jounin. His eyes were still shut tight but he had managed to tone down the blush to a light stain on his cheeks. He looked distinctly uncomfortable and was shifting from foot to foot, his arms crossed across his chest.

"Fine," Sakura snapped. "We'll go. I expected you to be more mature Tsunade-sama. I always thought you were, but now you're no better than that perv Jiraiya."

Sakura turned and grabbed Shikamaru's hand to drag him out of the hospital, not paying attention to inferences people would draw from it.

"Just open your eyes Shikamaru. You're going to have to get used to this ridiculous outfit if we plan to fight. I don't need you gawking when you're supposed to be planning."

Shikamaru peeked one eye open as he was forcibly dragged out the front door of the hospital where the sun was beginning to set. His breath caught in his throat as he took in all of Sakura's form. She was right, he would be horribly distracted unless he got used to the outfit. Opening both eyes, he allowed Sakura to guide him through the thinning crowds in the streets, all the while familiarizing himself with her pale skin and curves. She had some faint scar criss-crossing her entire back and some over her arms, but he found that they added to Sakura as a person.

What was it with domineering women and him anyways? They always seemed to flock to him, when he didn't really want to deal with any women at all. He sighed and kept telling himself that Sakura was in no way attractive to him and that after this entire ordeal was over, she would move on to someone else and he could live in happy solitude as he had always wanted to.

'_Liar…_'

-------------------------

Sasuke grunted as he finished off with his orgasm, his body slick with sweat caused by both the sex and from the massive amounts of alcohol in his system. The woman beneath him had finished off her herself with a moan of his name, one finger held between her teeth in an attempt to look desirable. He wanted nothing to do with her. All he wanted was _her_…

Sasuke smirked, standing up and dressing himself, leaving the woman pouting on the bed. As he carelessly tossed a wad of cash onto the bed for her, he walked out of the brothel.

Tonight…tonight he would get some satisfaction as he hadn't had in years. Sakura would pay for holding back on him. But that payment would only be good if she fought him. He always liked a struggle, a hard fight. But he knew he would win the battle, he would come out on top, like always. He wanted to break Sakura, shatter her.

Shatter her like she was shattering his dreams of reviving his clan, like how his whole life had been shattered. He was furious that even with the loss of her family she could keep going. His had died to, but he was stuck in the past. And it wasn't fair. So he would punish her. He would break her, capture her in the genjutsu of his sharingan eye and bring her every fear to life. Break all her dream that seemed to hold the kunoichi together.

Yes, tonight was the night, he could feel it. He shivered in almost sexual pleasure as he thought of what he would do. It would be a most gratifying night indeed…

---------------------------

A/N: And end chapter 4. It's nice and long, but that last bit bothers me. Dunno why, but I'll keep it there. Maybe you all will like it. Constructive criticism is always welcome, but flames are not. If you don't like the story, then don't read it much less comment on how much you don't like it. Anyways, some shout-outs to my reviewers:

**Romantix**- You did reply, but I was going by who had reviewed for the previous chapter. Gomen!

**AznNarutoGrl-91**- Thanks!

**Shinobi Darkbeak**- Thanks!

**Kerrie-chan**- Thanks. Please, keep pointing out things I could work on…it's helpful.

**ShortySC22**- Thanks!

**jennjennr**- I'm flattered and overwhelmed…thank you. I don't think it quite ranks up there with some wonderful stories I've read in this place, but thank you nonetheless.

**the.promise.kept**- Thanks!

**Dances With The Wind**- I just wish I had _anyone_ to hold me…but I agree. It would be nice.

**BlueKanji**- Thanks!

**Yokaigurl**- -sweatdrops- Err…okay…

**Dustbunny3**- I greatly enjoy your constructive criticism. You've _no_ idea how much it can help. Would "crack in the door" have worked better?

**The Squabbit**- Thank you!

**GaaraSakura Luvers 4Evah**- Err…smut this is not. An effed up romance? Most definitely yes.

**The warmth of the Afterglow**- Thanks!


	5. Her Strength She Hides

Falls Apart

-----------------------

Chapter 5: Her Strength She Hides

-----------------------

**Save My Life**

By Pink

She's back on drugs again

Even though she knows it ain't right

She can't even call up her friends

And say "help me save my life"

She's so ashamed of herself that she's come full circle

Nobody understands what it's like to

Be this girl

So she disappeared, and she

Wasn't clear, and she

Didn't say where she was going

Save my life, won't you help me

Save my life, won't you help me

Save my life, won't you hear me

Save my life, won't you help me

She had the man of her dreams

And some success

And she was so happy, and looking well

It was this one dark night, that she

Slipped

And then the next morning that she

Felt like a piece of shit

So she's hanging out, and she's

With the crowd, and she's

Travelin' where the wind is blowing

Save my life, won't you help me

Save my life, won't you help me

Save my life, won't you hear me

Save my life, won't you help me

And he's a real good guy and he

Wants to save her 'cause he's

More than been there all before

And she's so confused and his heart is breaking and he

Dreams she's knocking on his door

Save my life, won't you help me

Save my life, won't you help me

Save my life, won't you hear me

Save my life, won't you help me

------------------------------

Sakura slowed as she reached the doors to the hospital, fearing what she knew was going to come the minute she passed over that threshold.

Pain. Fear. Torture. A broken heart and a shattered dream.

Sasuke.

She finally paused in front of the pane of glass that marked her last boundary of safety. Her grip on Shikamaru's hand slackened as she stared through the transparent pane in panicked terror. She couldn't go!

Quivers of fear shook her frame, and she finally dropped her companion's hand to wrap her arms about her slim body. Goosebumps rose up to attest how afraid she was.

Shikamaru observed her behavior and knew what was bothering her so intensely. She was scared out of her wits. Hell, he was scared out of his own wits as well. He had no desire to face off with the Uchiha jerk. Face off with a more than likely pissed, insane, and jealous Uchiha.

Shikamaru tried not to visualize the many possible outcomes of his own demise should Sasuke get his hands on him. Many involved the Mangekyou Sharingan. Many, to his horror, included Shikamaru losing to Naruto in Go. How horrid a fate that would be!

The jounin placed his hands in his pockets as he watched the pink-haired medic. He wanted to comfort her, but how do you comfort someone who is about to face down their worst nightmare? Especially when that nightmare was everyone else's also. Making up his mind, he pulled his hand out of his pocket and gently set it down on Sakura's shoulder. He stepped forward so he could speak quietly into her ear.

"You're not alone. But you've got to do this if you want to move on."

Sakura continued to stare fearfully out of the window, but slowly nodded her head, her teeth worrying her bottom lip. She reached up and grabbed Shikamaru's hand, gently pulling it from her shoulder.

But she didn't let go.

Instead, she treaded her fingers with Shikamaru's, keeping her grip firm, but trembling from her fear.

"Promise…promise you won't abandon me. Promise that you won't leave my side." Her voice had gone up in pitch, and was tremulous.

Shikamaru was taken aback when Sakura became so bold as to grasp his hand. But he didn't pull away. Instead, he knew she needed the physical support along with the mental. He came up the rest of the way to her smaller form, wrapping her in a hug from behind and pulling her tight against his chest.

Her head was tucked neatly underneath his chin, and her tremors lessened almost immediately, with the older jounin's arms circling her waist firmly. A niggling little voice in the back of the jounin's head murmured at the feeling of the soft, pale skin of her flat stomach. He proceeded to immediately beat that voice into extinction and banish it from his mind.

"I've already made the promise that I wouldn't leave you alone with that sadistic bastard as long as I have a breath inside of this lazy body. Please don't doubt me in that promise. It's hard enough to get one out of me in the first place."

A dry, forced chuckle escaped Sakura's lips.

"I'm sorry Shikamaru."

Sakura then, with a resigned sigh, pulled away from the Nara's embrace, and stepped toward the door. But she didn't release his hand. She didn't glance back at him, but pulled him gently forward towards the door where the sunlight was quickly fading.

"Here goes nothing."

-----------------------------------

Tsunade stood next to the nursing station, which had a straight shot view of the front door. She felt her heart go with Sakura, and fear for her apprentice's life filled her to the brim. But watching Shikamaru give her support and encouragement gave her hope also. She had heard his promise to the pink-haired medic, and knew he took his promises seriously.

She knew this because it was like pulling teeth with no anesthetic to get the bullheaded shadow user to promise to complete a mission to the fullest extent for ANBU. She couldn't count the numerous times she had fought with him about how he only accomplished the minimum for some missions. And the little shit actually had the balls to yell back at her! Well, maybe not yell…more like grumble heatedly while giving her the 'glare of death' as she had dubbed it.

Her heart clenched once again as she watched Shikamaru pull Sakura close, an unusual look of fear on his face, and an especially rare look of possessiveness making his body taut. She felt for the poor boy. He'd been the first to observe the signs of Sakura's predicament, and had watched it from afar for years. She suspected that he'd even fallen for her apprentice, just had to get it through his thick, obstinate skull that his 'troublesome worries about that troublesome Haruno' was really caring, respect, and possibly love.

As Sakura moved to finally step through the front door, the Hokage could only do one thing: pray that her own penchant for bad luck didn't rub off the poor kunoichi enough that living stopped this night. If Sakura could not stop the Uchiha, then Konoha would more than likely fall.

'Good luck, my daughter…'

-----------------------------

'One step after the other old girl. Don't try to think about what is going to happen here in a few hours. Just remember that Shikamaru is right behind you…as you wear this completely indecent outfit that hentai sensei gave you…'

Sakura was fuming again soon enough, and Shikamaru could feel the animosity rolling off of her in waves.

That annoying little voice in the back of his head resurrected itself and was telling him that he had something to do with this sudden bout of violent temper. If her angry glances back at him weren't cluing him in enough.

That irritating voice was also noting how it wasn't just her face that flushed with anger.

'Che…like I care about the homicidal medic and how her entire body flushes right before my eyes…troublesome female…probably thinks I'm undressing her in my mind. Like there's anything left to undress from her…'

Shikamaru's face flushed at his train of thought and instantly kicked himself mentally as he saw Sakura's eyes narrow at him. Pain seemed evident in the near future.

Not to be disappointed, Sakura whirled around and planted her palm on the side of Shikamaru's face, leaving an impressive red handprint.

"STOP STARING DAMMIT! You're supposed to be getting used to how I am dressed! Not taking advantage of it!"

Shikamaru opened his mouth to defend his position when Sakura pulled him in front of her, as if she were expecting him to lead the way to her house.

"I was not taking advantage of your underdressed state. What do you take me for, a lecher? Che…troublesome woman."

He decided to go ahead and not fight Sakura about who was leading the way and started walking. Murderous waves of malice continued to radiate from Sakura's slim form, and he started to feel fear for his well-being.

Thoughts of a certain green tray entered his mind, and he gave a mental shudder. At least there was no way his arch-nemesis would fit into his incensed companions lacking attire.

'Ha! The troublesome tray will never be able to sneak up on me again!' Inner-Shikamaru exclaimed in glee, doing a little celebratory dance.

Sakura glared at the back of Mr.-Pineapple-denying-that-he's-ogling-me-Head. Like hell he wasn't taking advantage. His flush revealed all as she had glanced back to make sure he wasn't doing such a thing.

She didn't relinquish her hold on Shikamaru's hand when she forced him to take the lead. For all that he was pissing her off, his presence was a buffer for the terror that was waiting just down the street.

The sun was leaving a trailing blaze of fiery kisses on the dark sky when they finally saw Sakura's hell come into view. The pink haired kunoichi gripped Shikamaru's hand harder to signal him of her growing unease.

His hand squeezed back in acknowledgement and comfort. He then pulled her hand so that she was walking even with him. "Ready?"

Sakura shook her head vigorously, pink hair flying about. "No. I never will be, but that won't stop this all from happening. Do you have a plan?"

Shikamaru shook his head. "The only thing I can come up with is that you use taijutsu and medical ninjutsu. And that you be wary for genjutsu. Sasuke can't copy taijutsu and medical ninjutsu is something he isn't familiar with and won't see coming. Because he uses his eyes to cast genjutsu, you need to be careful and not look him in the eyes. That's the best I can come up with for right now."

Sakura nodded her understanding. "He'll be home in an hour or two. Want to wait inside? He'll sense you one way or another. Might as well have strength in numbers when he arrives. He'll be drunk and pissed."

She shuddered, but stepped around Shikamaru to the front door of her home. Opening it, she walked through to the living room, the kitchen off to the right and a hallway straight ahead, leading to the bedrooms and bathroom.

Shikamaru followed quietly after, taking in the home.

Dust covered everything almost a quarter of an inch thick. The most recently disturbed things were broken or shattered, giving hints to the violence that Sakura was exposed to almost every night.

Anger swelled up in Shikamaru at the thought of Sasuke touching the kunoichi in anything but reverence. She didn't deserve that treatment.

The bastard would pay.

Sakura had released Shikamaru's hand and closed the door before turning to face her 'protector.' She was taken aback at the angry look on his face. His eyes were narrowed and focused on nothing in particular, lips thinned, and he was grinding his teeth slightly. She could just imagine him growling too.

She stepped in front of him.

"Shikamaru, what are you thinking about, that has you so angry?"

The jounin snapped out of his violent fantasies of killing a certain black-haired bastard at the medic's words. His anger instantly dispelled upon the helpless and lost look on her face.

"About how you deserve so much more than what you have right now. That Sasuke never deserved you after the shit he pulled even before you married him."

Sakura smiled softly, but sadly. "If I deserved better, then I would have gotten better. I must have deserved this, because it happened."

Shikamaru's eyes flashed angrily. "How can you say that? How can you succumb to all the shit that you had thrown your way so easily? You are stronger than that, you're braver than that. You have to be because you survived this long intact."

He stepped in front of her and grabbed her arms, pulling her so that her face was mere inches from his own.

His anger disappeared as he noticed that tears were in her eyes again and was looking at him in something akin to fear. Her body trembled and she sagged in his grip, almost submitting to him.

"Please don't hurt me, I'm sorry…" she whispered quietly.

Shikamaru pulled her into a hug. He kept forgetting that though she survived, it didn't mean that she wasn't broken. Sasuke had broken her will to fight back. Any aggressiveness on the part of an opposing male made Sakura submit almost immediately to their dominance.

With the exception being Naruto. She still fought tooth and nail with the blonde at every turn. Didn't matter what, but she verbally abused and dominated the Kyuubi container.

"I won't hurt you Sakura. Never. But it aggravates me that you submitted so easily to Sasuke. Had it been anyone else and you would have been all over them like white on rice. You wouldn't have just sat there and taken their shit. You're so stubborn and strong. You should have easily been able to thwart Sasuke-bastards behavior. I wish you could see what everyone else sees in you."

Sakura wrapped her arms about the jounin's waist, tears entering her eyes as he spoke. She wished she could be everything he said she was…

"You're strong, stubborn, smart, and any male and even a few females would agree that you are attractive."

He pulled back and grasped Sakura's chin in his hand, making her look him in the eyes. He drank in her glassy sea-green eyes as they looked at him in sadness and a bit of longing.

"Don't ever let anyone convince you otherwise. Not Sasuke, not anyone, because they would be lying through their teeth. You would be doing not only yourself, but those who say such things about you a dishonor."

His face drew closer to hers, being sucked in by the look of hopelessness in her eyes and the lost tears that trailed quietly down her cheeks. He wanted to take all her cares and worries away. Wanted to make her forget all of her horrid experiences. Wanted to comfort and care for her, and show her that there was more to life than the one she had been suffering.

Entering a daze, he soon found himself kissing away the tears on her cheeks, finding that they marred the beauty of her face. He also found that both of his hands had traitorously moved to gently hold Sakura's head between them.

His body was acting without his permission, yet he couldn't come up with a good argument at the moment to stop.

Sakura leaned into Shikamaru's warm hands as his lips kissed away her tears, and oddly enough, her insecurities and fears about her abilities. He must truly believe his words if he was going through all this to convince her. And doing it so gently so as not to scare her off.

She closed her eyes and reveled in the feeling of the jounin's soft lips on her face. They no longer stayed on just her cheeks, for the tears had all been kissed away. Now the kisses worked their way all over her face, on her forehead, temples, eyelids, nose…

On her lips…

All thoughts fled both of their minds as they concentrated on what exactly was being transmitted through the kiss. Shikamaru pressing his point that she deserved so much more, Sakura seeking something that she thought she had at first, but never received.

The kiss never became passionate, just chaste, innocent and to prove a gentle point.

Shikamaru pulled away first, glancing over Sakura's blushing face, her eyes still closed.

The irritating, niggling voice returned, pressing him on to continue. To _really_ show Sakura what she was missing. He immediately punted it away, not wanting to ruin the moment that had surfaced.

The look on Sakura's face was the most peaceful he had ever seen, and it complimented her better than her sadness.

He rubbed a thumb under one her eyes, over the cheek bone. He pressed his forehead against hers.

"Got it woman?"

Sakura smiled softly at his words. "Yeah, I got it."

They stood like that for a time, before Sakura pulled away.

"I don't know when my 'husband' will be getting home, but I know that neither of us has eaten. I have some instant udon. Want some?"

Shikamaru shrugged, falling back into his normal attitude, slightly disgruntled at his open display of emotion.

"Don't care. Whatever you feel like woman."

Sakura rolled her eyes, but turned to the kitchen, muttering about idiot men.

"Udon it is then, idiot Nara. My name is Sakura by the way. Thought you might want to know that seems as you insist on being my babysitter."

His feathers ruffled at her comment, Shikamaru snorted.

"I'm not your babysitter woman, though with the way you are acting, you may need one soon."

Sakura replied with a snort of her own.

"Whatever you say, idiot Nara."

Stepping into the kitchen and sifting through cupboards, Sakura left Shikamaru to his own devices in her living room.

The shadow user picked up picture frames and wiped the dust off to look at them. The vast majority of them were of both Sasuke and Sakura together, looking happy. One was even their wedding picture.

The rest of the pictures were of Sakura with various classmates. In two, she was smiling happily at Hinata's and Naruto's wedding. Another was of Team 7.

Done snooping around, Shikamaru sat down on the couch. It was a pale blue, and Shikamaru was dismayed to find blood stains all over it. He was reminded of why he needed to help Sakura.

Sakura walked in with udon in each hand, finding Shikamaru finger the numerous stains on the couch, all of which bore painful memories. The look on his face told her that he knew what they were and how they had gotten there.

She went and sat next to the shadow user, breaking him out of the glaring contest he was having with the discolorations. His dark eyes smoldered as they locked on to her tired and sad sea-foam ones. She handed him the cup and looked down at the stains.

"If it helps you any, I barely remember anything from when he beats me. I kind of phase out."

Shikamaru shook his head indicating that that didn't make him feel any better. He slowly ate the udon, hoping that he wouldn't throw it up in a short while.

They both ate in a tense silence, unsure of what their future would bring them as soon as Sasuke walked through the door. Soon both finished their instant meal.

Sakura collected the utensils and trash and left for the kitchen without a word. She was confused at Shikamaru's behavior, and at her own reaction. She hadn't thought that the jounin was capable of displaying emotion or caring.

She honestly thought he didn't care about the opposite sex due to the constant 'troublesome women this' and 'troublesome women that.' But here he was, doing everything he could to convince her that what she was going through was not good for her and that she deserved more from life.

Went so far as to kiss her.

And she had liked it. But she couldn't bring herself to believe that it was for any personal caring, that he was just doing it to give her the strength to get through this in one piece.

Either way, he had her convinced. She needed to get away from Sasuke. And she doubted that the Uchiha would let her go until either one of them were dead.

Finishing with her cleaning, she felt that familiar tremor go through her diminutive form, and her stomach felt like she had swallowed ice cold lead. He was coming, and he was pissed, yet strangely excited.

Shikamaru had been observing Sakura from the couch and immediately knew what was wrong when Sakura stiffened up.

"How far away?"

Sakura's impressive grip on the counter was causing it to crack.

"Down the street. He knows you're here, and he seems excited about it…"

Shikamaru stood and walked up behind Sakura, wrapping her in another hug.

"You can do this. Just think about all of the injustices he has done to you and not about _what_ he has done or can do. You are stronger than that."

Sakura nodded weakly and leaned back into the embrace taking comfort that someone cared and would possibly go down with her should anything go awry.

Shikamaru caught himself breathing in Sakura's scent, a delicate cool flower fragrance. He felt his own anxiety calm upon taking it in. He leaned down and whispered into Sakura's ear.

"Let's go greet him at the front door. I'm sure that making him angry in an inebriated state will cause him to make mistakes."

Sakura gave a curt nod and took in a deep breath to collect and calm herself, doing as Shikamaru had suggested and thought of all the things she had missed out on being truly happy about because of Sasuke's abuse.

She pulled away and strode confidently to stand five feet away from the front door, her stance defiant, legs shoulder length apart, and arms crossed over her chest. Her anger grew with every unhappy memory, with every missed opportunity.

And her confidence vanished abruptly as she watched the door knob turn.

'It's him, dear kami, it's him…'

She almost screamed as she looked into the blood red eyes that greeted her upon the door swinging silently open. They promised pain and suffering. They were more maniacal and psychotic than ever before, and she found herself frozen to the spot.

"Hello Sakura, _dear_. Nice to see you waiting for me, and you even dressed up for me. Not to mention you invited a guest over."

'Fuck…'

---------------------------

A/N: -laughs manically- Cliffhanger! Hahahahahaha! Well, I have to say that this chapter is the epitome of crappiness and I must apologize ahead of time. Hopefully the next chapter will make up for it. Now, for my faithful reviewers:

**BlueKanji**- Sorry to say, but school's a bitch and it dictates _all_ of my time…but thank you for the compliment. –grins-

**Dustbunny3**- Whoopsie…sannin it is…and I rather like the use of Japanese words. I prolly should tack on a section at the end that defines them, but I'm _so_ lazy… -sighs- Leave more feed back, and thank you very much!

**Shinobi Darkbeak**- I looked at you suggestion, and you're right, it fits very well. –starts planning on next chapters-

**ShortySC22**- Thank you.

**Youkaigurl**- Hehehehe…shocked was to say the least…

**Inuyashafeudalgirl**- Thank you.

**The warmth of the Afterglow**- Angst lover? Ooooo…we'll see.

**hysterical laughter**- Thank you.

**Olive Oil**- Thank you.

**Romantix**- So am I, so am I. No harm, no foul.

**Ankhazu**- Well, Sasuke is a little bit crazy, so I wouldn't think that his reasoning would be very clear. Besides, it keeps everyone guessing. Thank you!

**xXxAllMySinsxXx**- I found a lot of good ShikaSaku off of ffnet. Type in their names along with fanfiction on yahoo and you should get some entries. Good ones can be found on livejournal, but you gotta dig for them.

**Fiona McKinnon**- O.K.H.U.G. (OKay. Here U Go.) –smiles-

**K-chan9**- Thank you.

**Amon's Eve**- Thank you.

**Jayde-Green07**- Boredom can be a good thing. –smiles-

**AnimeGirl2006**- Hehehehe. Maybeh, maybeh not. We'll just have to wait and see.

**Noyesgirl**- Thank you.

**MisatoNoYume**- Here ya go. –laughs-


	6. She'll Raise Her Voice

**Falls Apart**

**---------------------**

Disclaimer: I don't own it, nor will I ever.

---------------------

Chapter 6: She'll Raise Her Voice

Buried Myself Alive  
The Used  
(The Used)

You almost always pick the best times  
To drop the worst lines  
You almost made me cry again this time  
Another false alarm  
Red flashing lights  
Well this time I'm not going to watch myself die  
I think I made it a game to play your game  
And let myself cry  
I buried myself alive on the inside  
So I could shut you out  
And let you go away for a long time

I guess it's ok I puked the day away  
I guess it's better you trapped yourself in your own way  
And if you want me back  
You're gonna have to ask  
Nicer than that

I think the chain broke away  
And I felt it the day that I had my own time  
I took advantage of myself and felt fine  
But it was worth the night  
I caught an early flight and I made it home

With my foot on your neck  
I finally have you  
Right where I want you

-------------------

Sakura just blanked out, staring horrified into deep eyes that mocked her very existence. She forgot about everything that surrounded her, everything that she had been thinking.

He could do that, he had conditioned her to do that. All she had now was a deep seated terror and shame.

Shame that she was never good enough, shame that she was never powerful enough, shame that she had let her own husband down to the point where he resorted to this.

It was all her fault, it had always been her fault, she deserved every bruise on her battered body, she deserved every scathing comment he sent flying in her direction.

A sob escaped her throat as she fell to her knees, her eyes never leaving Sasuke's. Tears blurred his face a bit, but she never blinked never broke contact.

She shuddered at the horrible grin that crossed his face.

"I guess the mouse really does play while the cat is out, ne Sakura? You could have at least tried to bring someone worthy to fight for you, like maybe Kakashi or Tsunade…but no, you bring the skinny Nara boy. You really are a dumb bitch, you know that?"

Shikamaru was stunned at how easy it was for Sasuke to subdue Sakura. Just one glance made her fall to her knees and to pieces. He glared up at Sasuke, pissed at the treatment he was giving Sakura. Fists clenched at his sides, nails cutting bloody crescents into his palm, Shikamaru audibly growled at the Uchiha heir.

"Leave her alone you bastard. Why do you feel the need to oppress her in such a way? She's your wife for crying out loud!"

Sasuke merely gave a short bark of laughter, turning his sadistic grin towards the Konoha genius.

"She's my property, mine to do whatever I wish with. So you shouldn't give a shit about what I do to her, in fact, for the reason you two seem to be so close is reason enough for me to beat her. She's being unfaithful to me. She needs to realize that she gave all of who she was to me when she married me. She belongs to no one else, not you, not the Hokage, not Konoha, but mine. She seems to have forgotten this."

Shikamaru's eyes narrowed.

"That does not mean that she stops being who she is when she marries you! A wife is to be cherished and taken care of! She's not some animal, some rag doll you can abuse and toss about! You abuse your privilege, so I'm going to make it my right to annul your marriage! Sakura deserves better than a monster, she'd even do better with Gaara than with you!"

Sasuke laughed again, not fazed at all by Shikamaru's taunts.

"You? Stop me? How ridiculous! You couldn't hurt a fly if you tried. The master of shadows and mind games is no threat to me. Shadows can't touch me and there's no mind left to mess with. You are SOL Nara. Now go fuck off before I kill you."

Shikamaru gritted his teeth but walked up next to Sakura, still staring dead ahead on her knees. He knelt down behind her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to him.

"Please Sakura. Don't shut down. Remember what he did, remember that you don't want any more of it. Fight back, please Sakura. Stand up for yourself."

The Uchiha heir looked down, his face betraying his amusement at the Nara's attempts. Snorting he closed his eyes and crossed his arms across his chest.

"You can't fix what is broken. Her spirit is gone, broken. It can't be repaired or replaced, she's all mine Nara. Give up and leave while your life is still intact."

Shikamaru shook his head in resolve, his embrace tightening around Sakura. He could feel her stirring out of her stupor. Burying his face into the Haruno's pale white-pink hair, he took a long deep breathe and enjoyed both the scent of the woman in his arms, and the look of jealousy that erupted on Sasuke's face.

"Get your filthy, herdsman hands off of my wife Nara! She's not yours to touch, not yours to give a damn about!" Sasuke took a few threatening steps forward, his teeth bared in barely restrained rage.

"You say such things as if you care about what happens to Sakura. You obviously don't care, judging by the bloodstains and broken furniture that make up the décor of your home, and her hell. You don't care judging by the cracked smile she wears everyday in order to hide the fact that she hates the life she lives. You sonofabitch, she's not broken though, just cracked. And even with how battered she is, she's stronger than anyone here in Konoha. To put up with the shit you deal her almost every night and still come out, even with a cracked smile. She deserves anyone but you!"

Sasuke didn't want to listen to Shikamaru anymore. With little preamble, he swung out with his fist and caught the Nara with a brutal uppercut, sending Shikamaru flying across the room. Shikamaru had release Sakura so that she did not go flying with him.

"You shut up, you little deer fag! You need to go and mind your own business; this is between me and Sakura, not you, me, and Sakura."

Rubbing his chin, the jounin sat up to glare at the dark-haired, red-eyed Uchiha. He also spotted Sakura who had also come to her senses and was glaring at Sasuke's back in pure hatred.

Shikamaru returned his attention to Shikamaru and gave a patented, smug Nara smirk. "I made it my business, Sasuke-teme. I made it my business after I first knew you were beating her years ago. I hope you get what's coming to you, you sick fuck."

With little preamble, an impressive chakra burst to life behind Sasuke, who whirled around in surprise. Standing there on her two feet, head bowed, arms hanging limply at her sides, and surrounded by a white-hot pink swell of chakra, was Sakura.

"Sasuke…dear…for years I've dealt with all the crap you've thrown my way. I've suffered your beatings, your degrading words and actions, but no more. I don't love you anymore, so I don't have to deal with your crap anymore. And don't you dare hurt Shikamaru! He's been more a gentleman in two days than you have been in six years put together!"

Sakura looked up at Sasuke, her eyes now turning a more lucid, clear green from their aqua-green color. She pulled herself up to her full height and glared at her husband.

"No more. I'm done playing your game. I'm done with you Sasuke."

The kunoichi immediately dropped into a defensive posture, ready to take on anything that her husband might throw in her direction.

Sasuke just smirked. He was pleased that he could now get a fight out of her, happy for a new, bigger, better, and certainly more appealing way to break her. He turned to face Sakura, forgetting completely about Shikamaru.

"So she finally grows a backbone. Damn Sakura, I never thought I'd see this day."

His smile widened and he began to stalk over to the defensive kunoichi. The sharingan in his eyes swirled and his eyes glittered with cruelty and lust. As he drew within arms reach of Sakura, she tensed some more, her eyes smoldering in righteous anger and hatred.

"Fuck you, you insecure bastard. Lay a hand on me and I'll make sure it's ripped off."

Sasuke continued his stalk around her form unfazed by her threats.

"Like I'm supposed to be scared of the weak Haruno Sakura. The only member of Team 7 who could not keep up. The burden, the straggler. How am I supposed to be afraid of that?"

He finally walked up to her and brushed his hand down her arm in an almost loving manner with the backs of his fingers. Then like the flip of a switch he had a hand buried in her hair and had dragged her to her knees on the floor.

"You could never hit me. You love me too much, you obsessed over me too much. You spent years pining away for me and I know you aren't stupid enough to throw away something you worked so hard for…"

He pressed his grinning face right into Sakura's, expecting tears. What he didn't expect however, was her spitting in his face followed immediately by a head butt. He released Sakura's hair and fell back on to the floor in surprise, one hand covering a bleeding nose.

Sakura rose to her feet and leered down at her husband. Her fists clenched tightly at her sides and her face burning in deep seated rage, she stormed over and punched Sasuke in the face, giving him no time to recover.

"You think I was joking when I said I've had enough? You ignorant, arrogant, self-righteous, chauvinistic _bastard_! How dare you not take me seriously? I've accomplished a lot more than you realize, I've more power than you dreamed of in my pointer finger. You, who needs tremendous chakra stores to fuel wasteful, destructive jutsus, don't realize that I could kill you by using less that one percent of my own chakra store, and that it would cause less collateral damage. One touch is all I need. I could brain damage you irreparably for life, cut open major arteries, sever your spinal cord, stop you heart, or activate every pain receptor in your body. All with a simple touch, one finger. I don't even need seals. So don't start with me."

Sasuke let loose a snarl. He lunged at Sakura only to find air. He looked and saw that she had moved just a foot out of his reach, a smirk almost matching his plastered across her heart shaped face. It made him a bit uncomfortable to be subject to his own predatorial glare. It must have shown on his face, for the smirk only increased.

"You look surprised Hubby. You didn't think I'd lie down and take you hurting others do you? Hitting me is fine, I can deal with it, but it's against my nature as a medic and a ninja to allow you to harm others needlessly. And if you think you can hurt me now, you truly have gone mad. I can kick Kakashi's ass using just taijutsu with his sharingan employed. You couldn't land a breeze on him using the chidori that _he_ taught you. I am also the select student of Fire Country's famous Kage, Tsunade."

Sasuke's face darkened in rage. How dare the bitch talk down at him? He who single handedly brought the Akatsuki to extinction, who had thrown off a cursed seal and destroyed a man who had killed the previous Kage. How dare she? After the years of her worshiping the very ground he walked on, how dare she?

"Fuck you. Just fuck you. You have no right to talk to me like that. Me, Uchiha Sasuke, last heir to the most powerful clan in Konoha, the savior of all ninja villages, the victor over the Akatsuki! You are barely a candle to my sun! So shut _up_ bitch!"

Sakura snarled right back, and in the blink of an eye, Sasuke found himself on the floor, his cheek stinging something furious. Shock rippled through him as he brought his hand up to his cheek to feel the hand-shaped welt rising there. Red sharingan eyes turned to look up at a pissed off, teary eyed kunoichi. Her breathing was hitched, her pants making her chest rise and fall rapidly. Her own eyes pinned him down with a wrath unmatched, and her finger shook with rage as she pointed it at him.

"No. No Sasuke. You don't get to talk down to me. I've dealt with your shit for long enough. I would have dealt with it longer, but you're starting to hurt others. I won't tolerate it. I won't hide inside myself anymore, I won't let you have your way anymore. You're just an emo, angry, spoiled child! Grow up you prick! You are not the shit, you're just _a_ shit. I want you to leave! Leave this village, and disappear. I don't want to hear even a whisper of your existence."

Sasuke quickly grew angry again. His bitch had struck him, and then had the gall to talk back to him. This was unacceptable. She needed to relearn her place. He quickly stood up and rushed with all his speed, fueled by anger. He managed to grab Sakura around her ivory throat and slam her hard enough into a plastered wall to make a body shaped indent.

The entire time this happened, Sakura did not flinch. Her hands flew up to grasp the appendage that held her aloft against the wall. With no hesitation she spit in his face and sneered.

"That all you got? Pathetic."

She struck a foot out and caught Sasuke in the abdomen hard. He relinquished his hold on her neck to step away, trying to regain the air that Sakura had kicked out. Sakura didn't give him the leisure of getting it back, immediately striking out with a roundhouse kick to his side.

She heard a satisfying crack as her foot connected.

Sasuke, seeing that she was serious in kicking his ass, released the full fury of his own chakra. It surrounded his body in a noxious, greasy grey, crackling as it came up against Sakura's own white-pink chakra.

Shikamaru, realizing that he had been forgotten about for now, crept silently away from the fight. Fireworks were going to light up the night of Konoha, and he had no desire to be the closest to the excitement. Just the combined power of their chakra was enough to choke him. He didn't want to be around when the real showdown started. Close proximity could kill, he knew this. Especially with a chakra show this impressive.

Sakura, out of the corner of her eye, saw Shikamaru sneaking away, and was grateful. That was one less person for her to worry about during the fight with Sasuke. She shuddered to know just how much damage she was about cause to Konoha. She hadn't even begun to unleash her power. Instead she was tightly reining it in, for her power was affected by her emotions and she was _pissed_ right now. The fact that she was usually numb emotionally while she fought with Kakashi and Lee would prove that she had much more hidden away than Sasuke would see coming. The bastard was going down whether he liked it or not. He was no longer alpha male amongst the countries. She was about to stake out that position right next to Naruto. She was going to take her place as one of the legendary Team 7, and she was going to take it forcibly and make a huge show of it. The more humiliating the defeat, the more likely that Sasuke would disappear and not try anything.

Sasuke had tunnel vision, and it was clamped tightly around the female before him. No one stood up against him. Not even the Hokage had spoken against him upon his return from being missing nin. He was feared, he was revered. He was the last of an extinct, powerful bloodline. He had a blood limit for god sakes! What did this female have? Sure, the apprenticeship of the greatest medic nin known to the entire world, but that was all! That was _given_ to her! She didn't earn it, didn't bleed for it! So she should learn her place, she needed to quit being so spoiled and whiny. All she ever did was whine.

Sasuke's fist clenched and he sprung forward, swinging it heavily at her face to find it easily parried. He swung a few more times, his arms pistoning in rapid succession, fully expecting all his punches to land on their target.

Sakura placed her perfected emotionless mask over her face, following one of the first shinobi rules: Show no emotion. She saw as she dodged, his fist whistling past her ear, that he was failing miserably at that simple task. His teeth were bared in some sort of grotesque grimace intended to show his anger. The snarl on his face proved that he had changed from the Sasuke she had known as a child. Sasuke always had control over his expressions and emotions. This Sasuke however, was raving mad.

Growing more upset with each parried punch, Sasuke didn't hesitate to activate the sharingan in his eyes, the tomoe whirling to a blur, making a thick black circle surrounding his pupils. He caught Sakura's own eyes with his and projected every nightmare possible to her, projected all his anger and hatred and darkness in order to make her cave.

Sakura just stared passively back, her green eyes betraying no fear. The images, the genjutsu that Sasuke was using was indeed terrifying, but Kakashi had taught his pupils well. And he didn't spare Sakura the terrors of the sharingan. It was a phase of her self-forced training. It was also an attempt to feel where she had gone numb. So she knew every nuance of the sharingan.

'He won't react fast enough to block my moves even though he sees them coming anyways…thank you Lee.'

Not waiting for Sasuke to make a first move and not bothering to cancel out the genjutsu over her, Sakura swung out to catch Sasuke in the Adam's apple, but he dodge just in time. Her fist briefly skimmed over the skin of his neck before Sasuke retaliated with a punch to her abdomen.

The impact sent her back a few feet. She rebounded as soon as her feet hit the floor and punched some chakra into both her hands and feet. Pushing off, she cocked back her arm for a lethal cross to the Uchiha's face, but he once again ducked in the nick of time. He grabbed her outstretched arm and used her momentum to swing her around once, then up over him and face first into the wooden flooring of their house.

He stood over her downed form and delivered successive punches to her prone form, a smile lighting his face.

Sakura 'oof'ed with each hit, but was gathering her chakra to push up off the floor. Once she had measured out and exact portion, she did a hard push-up, slamming her head back so that it connected with Sasuke's chin.

He staggered back, hand grasping a now split and bleeding chin. He snarled and his fingers flew through a series of seals.

"Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!"

The room lit up with intense heat as Sasuke released a fireball with his steady breath. Sakura, cursing Tsunade for the ridiculous outfit currently clinging skimpily to her form, simply stood and took the heat and flames as they engulfed her. Her chakra kept the flames from actually touching her, but the heat made her skin ignite red.

The flames lasted for a good twenty seconds, but Sakura was employing her healing jutsus continually to ensure that she would be able to retaliate after Sasuke had finished.

She observed the flames beginning to wane and took action. She leapt up the ceiling, screaming at the top of her lungs.

"Painful Sky Leg!"

Her form had cleared the flames and somersaulted in the air. He leg stuck out to strike a shocked Sasuke on top of the head, the appendage having most of her chakra aura surrounding it, signifying the power hidden.

Sasuke released his jutsu and stepped out of the way before Sakura could strike him. He choked as some flames back lashed into his throat from the abrupt cancellation of his move.

The house, which was engulfed in flames, now shattered to burning splinters as Sakura's leg made contact with the ground. Tremors seized the village of Konoha and sky was lit with the flames from the fire.

A crater the size of a few blocks was all that was left of the Uchiha household.

Sasuke glanced about him in a new found fear. A hit from Sakura would end him permanently. No one could survive a blow that left a crater this size. He looked back at the pink-white haired kunoichi as she straightened herself from a modified crouch. As she looked him in the eyes, he knew she could read his every emotion with ease. Her smile confirmed it.

"Leave, and I won't hurt you."

Sasuke quickly composed himself and frowned. He turned to face Sakura fully.

"It still isn't enough to defeat me. I still have a few surprises that I have been hiding from everyone here in Konoha."

In response, he quickly bit down on his thumb and scribbled elaborate kanji upon the ground in front of him.

"Kuchiyose no Justsu! Summoning Technique!"

Sasuke laughed a bit to himself as light surrounded him and the blood kanji ran together and wriggled in a snakelike fashion. Then from the ground behind him, a large serpent burst forth, golden and hissing angrily. Its slit eyes pierced Sasuke with disdain and arrogance.

"You dare to call me forth, weakling human? Can't handle your own fight?"

Sasuke turned and pinned Manda with a glare all his own. He killed the snake's previous summoner, proving his superiority.

"Submit! I am your summoner now, and you will heed my every word. Orochimaru is no longer in the land of the living, and I signed the contract after his departure. So now you are my summon."

The coiled creature spat at Sasuke's words. Its baleful look caused Sasuke's stomach to drop a few inches, but he held his composure in the face of the snake. He was superior in everything. The world was his.

"Orochimaru may have summoned me, but I was never his slave. He was my slave, and now you have signed yourself over as my slave, albeit a little more powerful than your predecessor. If you want me to even think about agreeing to help you, I want a thousand human sacrifices."

Sasuke broke eye contact to glance out to the village of Konoha. He lifted his hand up and presented his view to the snake.

"Done. The village is yours after this girl is defeated."

Manda followed Sasuke's gaze and his forked tongue unconsciously flicked out to taste the hundreds of lives that lay before him.

"That is acceptable, even more so because you offer up comrades in order to appease me. Now this girl…"

His slit, golden eyes focused in on the momentarily forgotten and disgusted Sakura. His tongue forked out again, taking in her flavor to read her power. He immediately hissed in anger.

"You! You are apprentice to that slug woman! To that wretched excuse of an animal!"

Sakura, in a moment of brilliant immaturity, stuck out her tongue and gave the oversized anaconda the finger.

"You will not talk about Tsunade-hime-sensei in such a manner! Granted that her practical jokes are over the top at times, but she is to be respected! And you will _not_ harm this village!"

Manda wouldn't hear a word of it and lunged fangs first at the girl. Sakura countered with one of her juiced up punches to the reptile's nose, making his attack glance to the side and his head slam into the raised walls of the crater behind her.

She glared at Sasuke and quickly bit into her own thumb while whipping out an impressive sized scroll. Her bloodied hand formed seals as she pulled the lengths of paper out of the roll.

"You know, I thought Tsunade was crazy when she made me sign, that I wasn't powerful enough for this, but I'm happy she did. Kuchiyose no Justsu! Summoning Jutsu Kuri-Kaesu no Tanjo! Repeat of Birth!"

She took her thumb and smeared it across the numerous kanji scrawled on the ancient paper. The sky above Konoha lit up once again with flames and a keening, sad melody floated across the night air. From the flame burst forth a gargantuan phoenix, her plumage alight with violent reds, oranges, and yellows, but also smoldering with pale blues, purples, and whites.

The night became considerably warmer as the avian glided down next to Sakura, its reflective predator eyes drinking in the miniscule girl who had called her forth.

"You called upon me?"

Sakura gazed in awe at the being she had summoned. The phoenix stood as tall as Manda, but her wingspan covered the length and breadth of Konoha easily. Power exhuded from the avian's form along with the intense heat. She knew she was signing for an animal summon, but she hadn't quite paid attention, just wanting to get Tsunade away from her.

She nodded dumbly up at the bird. To be honest, she expecting something much smaller and just as harmless as she had perceived herself to be before. But this…this blew her away…where did this contract come from and why did no other jounin have it?

Hisses distracted her from her continued awe and she turned to observe a very upset Manda. He had coiled in on himself in an almost defensive position, glaring angrily over the topmost of his coils at the phoenix and Sakura.

"Boy, you did not mention that she was the summoner of an immortal. I cannot kill something that cannot _be_ killed."

Sasuke balked at Manda's behavior. Now the snake was disobeying him over some blown up chicken. Irritated like never before, he brought chidori into his hand and slammed it hard into Manda's side.

The snake let out a wheezing sound of pain as the energy tore deep into his side. As he turned to strike at Uchiha, he was stopped mid-movement by none other than the Mangekyu Sharingan. The now fused tomoe whiled about hypnotically and Manda's coils slowly relaxed.

"You will do as I say. I am your summoner, thus you will do as I wish. Now quit cowering and take care of the girl and her glorified chicken."

Manda wordlessly nodded his triangular head and turned back to face the only two females present.

Sakura looked up at her summon, confused.

"What do I call you?"

The bird looked down at the kunoichi, pain etched deep into her eyes, but a soft warmth still emanating from them.

"You may call me Hai."

((Author's Note: I hate doing these, but I must inform you that in this case hai does not mean yes, it means Ash or Ashes. Now, continue your reading. I _was _going to stop it here, but I decided to be nice.))

"Hai. Hai-san, we must protect this village at all costs. I am unable to combat a summon by myself, so I summoned you."

The phoenix nodded then turned back to Manda, who was recoiling himself, but this time it was to attack. Sasuke stood next Manda, the reptile's cold blood coating his form as the wound he inflicted upon the summon leaked.

In the second it took for Manda to lash out, Hai had leapt into the air, releasing her soft melody for all to hear. Her soft voice then filled the air.

"Futon: Great Breakthrough!"

Hai slammed her wings close about her, sending out a tremendous wave of air that careened into Manda. With the air compressed in such a way, the intense heat surrounding the bird ignited the oxygen, producing a bladed airborne fire attack.

Manda let loose a hiss of pain and spat out some brackish, puddy looking poison at Hai. The heat proved to be Hai's greatest asset, for the poison burned away before it could touch her feathers and the exact affect of the carcinogen could be determined.

Hai pivoted in the air, and a hawk-like scream left her mouth as she dove down at Manda, her talons fully extended, wings spread at full length to control her dive. Manda's speed saved his scaly skin as he dodged her attack, his teeth bared in fear and fury. He refused to die this day, who gave a crap about the eerie red-eyed boy.

The snake turned and slammed his tail hard into Sasuke and sent him flying. Before Sasuke could retaliate to the unexpected attack, Manda dove back into the ground, disappearing.

Hai landed softly next to Sakura, her heat not scalding her summoner, but rather casting a warmth over and through her. Sakura looked up at the phoenix, quietly answering the question in the bird's pained eyes. With a nod, Mai leapt up into the air and disappeared in a magnificent display of fire. In her absence, two feathers floated down, one touched the parchment of the contract, turning into a signature that blazed continually but didn't burn the paper. The other feather floated gently down to Sakura, who watched it quietly and didn't move to pluck it out of the air.

Its red surface shimmered with dozens of other colors. The tiniest bit of light sent it into a blazing rainbow of colors, some warm, some cool. The feather alighted upon Sakura's forehead and disappeared, a dazzling fire ruby appearing in its place. Sakura brought a finger up and rubbed it over the stone. It was a chakra gem. It was also her way to summon Hai.

A snarl came from in front of her and Sakura shifted her attention to a battered but still kicking Sasuke. He leered with his Mangekyu sharingan eyes at Sakura, hoping to entrance her, lure her into a fake world much like his own brother had done and completely break her mind.

Sakura just looked on passively at him.

"You don't get it do you Sasuke? What part of 'Kakashi held nothing back' do you not get? The sharingan does not cast me into terror anymore."

Sasuke snapped and dashed headlong at her. He began throwing kicks and punches at blinding speed, not caring for where they hit, so long as they did hit. Sakura weaved around each punch with ease before slamming a powered up fist into his face, hearing his nose snap with satisfaction.

Not wanting to lose, Sasuke ignored the pain and blood that flowed freely from his shattered nose. He ducked below a follow through cross, sweeping his leg underneath Sakura and slamming her ankles together.

Sakura fell, a bit of surprise showing on her features as she tumbled to the ground. She caught herself on her palms and whipped her feet up, kicking Sasuke in faces, the blood flow from his nose growing worse. Deciding that this fight had gone on long enough and that Sasuke would keep going until her either passed out or died, Sakura started forming seals.

"Shosen Jutsu! Mystical Palm Technique!"

Sakura's right hand glowed ominously, her chakra concentrating around it. She sat and looked a recovering Sasuke over from head to toe, deciding her best course of action. She didn't want to inflict permanent harm, regardless of how much he deserved it. She just wanted to immobilize him until the Hokage could pass judgement.

Sasuke stilled in discomfort as Sakura eyed him top to bottom critically, like a slab of meat she was considering buying. His mind was rocking and rolling about in pain, most of it concentrated on the nose he knew would be forever crooked once it healed. He blinked for just a moment before he blacked out. He took note as his eyes closed once again that Sakura was not where she had been standing when he blinked.

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A/N: And end this chapter…sorry for taking so long but I've been mad busy. I also realize that the quality of this chapter may not be up to snuff, but that's because I've _really _wanted to write a chapter for my other story Breakaway, my Gaara/Sakura fic, but promised myself I'd finish a chapter for this first. I'm sorry for the crappy fight scenes too…I've never been very good with them, but I gave it my best. Oh, and due to how many reviews I have for the previous chapter, I will no longer acknowledge every reviewer, just those who offered constructive criticism or have the most strange review...a few of you are kinda out there… -laughs- But that's about it. Ja ne until the next chapter!

**Dustbunny3- **If my last chapter was that choppy, I don't even want to think about how bad this one must be… -sweat drop- I hope this one is at least mildly entertaining…

**Ankhazu-** Nothing against you, but I can almost never bring myself to read fics with an OC pairing…I don't know why… -scratches head- I'll give it a try though, there's always a first for everything. –smiles-

**Yokaigurl-** Next to The Squabbit, you have the most entertaining reviews ever. –snickers- Thank you for the compliment and that I made your day, floated your boat and sunk your ship. –smiles-

**Miss Soupy-** I think that with how lazy, composed, and grouchy Shikamaru is, there has to be a part of him that is hyperactive, happy, and has carebear DNA imbued to it. This would be Inner Shikamaru. –smiles- Just think of the chaos that would ensue if he was unleashed… -smiles evilly and starts scribbling idea down- And when I came up with the Go thing, I thought it was the most hilarious thing ever.

**To the rest of you reviewers**: You all are my heroes and the reason I strive to do well! Keep up the reviews, I do enjoy knowing that you enjoy my story!


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